A New Flame
by Rhodsey
Summary: COMPLETE! After a few problems at the Acolyte base St. John sets out in search of a flame... and finds an unexpected one along the way. PyroOC
1. Pyro's at it again

Disclaimer: I do not own the X-Men and any characters not associated with Marvel comics are of my own creation. with a little help from my friends.  
  
Special thanx goes out to my bud Zero for getting' me hooked on fanfic! B/T/W she's the co-author aka "Jennie". Don' cha jus' wish u were Gambit's femme?  
  
Also, I LOVE PYRO!!! *hides from other Pyro-maniacs*  
(get the joke?)  
*************************************************************  
  
Chapter One  
Pyro's at it again  
  
The Acolyte base was in its usual state: complete and utter chaos. Gambit was in his room watching the carnage through the keyhole in his door, Sabertooth was out reeking havoc on some small village, Colossus was reading a book on a bench outside, and Pyro was conducting his own fire elemental orchestra to one of Gambit's Songs of the South CDs.  
  
As Jennie made her way up the driveway, she stopped and noticed that smoke was spewing out of every window.  
  
"Oh, no. Pyro's at it again," she muttered to herself as she started walking again. She spotted Colossus on the patio. "Hey, Tin-Grin," she smirked, "too afraid to go inside?"  
  
"Gambit hasn't come out of his room in two hours," Colossus muttered, not looking up from his book. "I just hope he isn't as crisp as the sofa was when I left."  
  
"Eeg. That bad, huh?" Jennie carefully opened the door, slipping past Pyro as the string section hit a crescendo and was promptly pulled into Gambit's room.  
  
"Bon Dieu, cherie! You got a death wish?!" he whispered to her.  
  
"What's your problem?" She glared at him. "You forget what I specialize in? I'm a human fire extinguisher for cryin' out loud!"  
  
"Oh, yeah." Gambit ran his fingers through his hair. "We were waitin' for you ta get back. Go out there and kill the concerto, eh, chère?"  
  
She rolled her eyes. "Oh, fine. This is the only reason you hooked up with me, isn't it? To solve your Pyro-problems?"  
  
"No, chère!" he smirked. "That's just a bonus."  
"Oh, gee thanks. I love you, too," she said, the sarcasm cutting like a knife. She opened the door and prepared to blast Pyro. "Hey, fire starter! You're washed up as a conductor!"  
  
"What?" Pyro turned just in time to see a huge tidal wave coming at him.  
  
* * *  
  
Meanwhile on the other side of town, the X-Men were having a few problems of their own.  
  
"Kitty! You're NEVER cooking again!" Kurt yelled in between dry heaves.  
  
* * *  
  
Back at the base, Pyro sat Indian-style on the floor trying in vain to light his beloved Zippo. After about four unsuccessful attempts, he began to whimper and pout.  
  
At this point in time, Gambit deemed the situation safe and emerged from his room. He leaned against the doorjamb and crossed his arms and legs. "Settle down, mon ami, you're makin' a bigger puddle than she did."  
  
"Me Zippo won't light." Pyro muttered.  
  
Colossus turned his head to look through the sliding glass door. Upon seeing Pyro in a puddle of water, he smiled and turned back to his book.  
  
"I'm gonna 'ave to go get meself a new piece o' flint," Pyro stated to no one in particular.  
  
"Good luck," Gambit muttered, "considerin' it's about midnight and da only store open is da 7 Eleven."  
  
"So?" Pyro asked. "What's the big deal?"  
"The last time you drove the car, you blew it up," Jennie reminded him. "And the 7 Eleven's about twenty miles away."  
  
"This ain't fair." Pyro whimpered. "Why can't I just 'ave meself a little bit o' fun?"  
  
"Because you're only happy when t'ings are combustin'," Gambit said.  
  
"And besides," Jennie added, "the people at Couches R Us are sick of seeing us."  
  
"Like I said," Pyro debated, "what's the big deal? Go to another furniture store."  
  
"You just don't get it, do you, John?" Jennie said.  
  
"Get what?" Pyro asked, genuinely confused.  
  
"I rest my case," Jennie said, exasperated.  
  
Pyro looked to Gambit for help.  
  
"What da femme means," Gambit offered, "is get some new hobbies. You're drivin' us nuts! Every time we turn 'round, somet'in's on fire!"  
  
"But that's what I do," Pyro stressed.  
  
"Well, then, do it AWAY from my Orlando Bloom pictures!" Jennie yelled angrily. Gambit jealously elbowed her in the side. "Oh, and I suppose those Hustler magazines under your mattress got there all by themselves, eh?"  
  
Gambit turned a bright shade of pink.  
  
"Well, actually," Pyro said, raising a finger, "they're not unda his mattress anymore."  
Gambit's shade of pink turned to an angry shade of purple. For fear of being permanently washed away, he remained calm. "You didn't burn them, did you?"  
  
"What d'ya think I did with 'em, mate?" Pyro winked.  
  
Gambit nodded in understanding. "You can keep 'em."  
  
Pyro sat in silence for a while. Suddenly, he stood up and wrung out his hoodie. "Fine, then. If you blokes won't 'elp me, I'll just 'ave to nurse poor Sheila here back to health on me own."  
  
He walked out the door in search of the nearest 7 Eleven. 


	2. The Goddess of Fire

Chapter Two  
The Goddess of Fire  
  
When we last left our hero, he had begun an odyssey to the nearest 7 Eleven. Sheila's life was at stake. As he trekked the twenty miles, he mentally kicked himself for setting the bike aflame. About five miles from the base, he came upon a rather pretty woman with red hair and brown eyes, sitting on a -highly flammable- custom Harley. Sadly though, he did not notice her because he was too busy trying to coax his lighter to ignite.  
  
* * *  
  
"Come on, Sheila. I know you can do it. Light up for Daddy..."  
  
"He's talking to a lighter," the woman on the Harley muttered. Although Pyro hadn't noticed her, she had noticed him... especially the sexy orange hair!  
  
He looks so familiar, she thought. Familiar and cute... but vaguely familiar... did I mention cute? Yeah... mentioned cute...but GAWD is that hair sexy!  
  
Suddenly, Pyro jumped. "I saw a spark! You can do it, Sheila! Don't surrender to the dark side. I have faith in you!"  
  
Ok, she thought, so he's a little weird... Who cares?!  
  
* * *  
  
Back at the base, Gambit and Jennie were snuggled up on what was left of the sofa and watching TV.  
  
"You know," Jennie said during the commercial break, "Pyro's out there -by himself- with nobody to watch him."  
  
Gambit picked up a handful of popcorn. "You t'ink he made it to da 7 Eleven yet?" "Probably not." Jennie grabbed the remote and turned off the TV. "Let's go find him."  
  
Gambit rolled his eyes. "Every time Gambit sit down ta watch TV, somet'in' like dis gotta happen..."  
  
Jennie grabbed his arm. "Oh, just come on."  
  
* * *  
  
"HAHAHAAAHAAAAA!" Pyro cackled, staring at the flame dancing back and forth in his hand. Suddenly the flame snuffed out... he was out of lighter fluid.  
  
"NNNNNOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!"  
  
Gambit and Jennie approached as Pyro fell to his knees on the side of the road.  
  
"WHY?!"  
  
Jennie elbowed Gambit in the stomach. "I told you so."  
  
* * *  
  
The next morning, Colossus awoke bright and early. Sabertooth was still out, Gambit and Jennie were asleep, and poor Pyro was rocking back and forth in the middle of the kitchen floor.  
  
"What is wrong, Comrade?" Colossus asked, genuinely concerned for his teammate's well being.  
  
"I haven't lit anything on fire in... five hours!" Pyro whined. "You remember what 'appened the last time I went that long without burnin' something."  
  
Colossus remembered. How could he forget? In one of his frenzies, Pyro actually caught Sabertooth on fire. The rabid cat-man almost tore poor John to bits... he was only saved because Colossus had stepped in and suggested that St. John turn off his pyrokinesis for twenty-four hours. After six hours, the base needed a new kitchen, dining room, living room, and several pieces of electronics. Not to mention, Sabertooth was on the warpath for a week and a half.  
  
"Well, my friend, why don't you leave the base and have some fun at the abandoned rock quarry? I'm sure there'll be plenty of tiny woodland creatures to incinerate." Colossus regretted the words as soon as they exited his mouth.  
  
"Really, mate?" St. John looked hopeful. "Where's me jumper? I'll be feelin' betta in no time!"  
  
Pyro jumped to his feet and made a beeline for the laundry room.  
  
Colossus turned toward the toaster and sighed. "I am afraid this is going to be a long day."  
  
* * *  
  
"Get him!"  
  
"Come back here!"  
  
Cyclops and Spike were chasing after Pyro. After the Professor told them about the mutant activity near the abandoned quarry, they decided to investigate.  
  
"This is bleedin' ridiculous! Just because I muck around with a couple bunnies, I got the X-Men on me tail!" Pyro panted as he ran towards the Bayville city limits. Unexpectedly, Pyro turned and opened fire -literally- on the X-Boys.  
  
"Look out!" Cyclops pushed Spike out of the way and then shot an optic blast in Pyro's general direction.  
  
Pyro jumped out of the way and returned with a stream of fire and a maniacal cackle.  
  
The woman on the Harley stepped out of a coffee shop just in time to see a bright flash of orange. "Hey... wasn't that...?"  
  
Cyclops and Spike pushed past her and she decided to follow. While they were preoccupied with another flame assault, the woman followed Pyro when he ducked into an alley.  
  
Pyro watched from behind a dumpster as Cyclops and Spike ran down the street and someone else stepped into the alley.  
  
"Um, excuse me?" a woman called. "Are you back here?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Ok, someone had to have said 'no'."  
  
"Damn," he muttered, "that always works in the bloody movies."  
  
The Australian accent struck a chord. "Do I know you?" the woman called.  
  
"Don't think so, love."  
  
"Love? Well, that's a funny thing to call somebody you haven't met yet."  
  
Pyro fought the urge to set her on fire. As a kid, he got in trouble at school for that one. "Well, love, what would you like me to call ya?"  
  
"Anything but 'love'," she replied. "It's startin' to freak me out."  
  
Pyro thought for a moment. "Well, ok then. 'Ow 'bout this: you let me outta 'ere, and I'll think of somethin' else to call ya, eh, sheila?"  
  
"Sheila?" The woman looked confused. "You mean the Zippo?"  
  
Pyro's eyes bugged out of his head, nearly coming into contact with his goggles. "How do you know about my Sheila?"  
  
"I saw you going to the 7 Eleven the other night... talking to her, it, the lighter!"  
  
"That was a private moment, I'll 'ave you know!"  
  
"I'm sorry! But I couldn't help noticing the crazy man talkin' to his lighter. I mean, the orange hair isn't that hard to miss."  
  
"That's it! First, you bust on me girl, then you bust on me hair!" Pyro stood up and let loose a wave of fire on the poor, unsuspecting mystery woman.  
  
She jumped out of the way. "That's how I know you! You're that fire starter from the news!"  
  
"Well, it's nice to know that I'm publicly known," Pyro said, shooting out another wall of fire, which she dodged. "I 'ope they got me good side!" He cackled again.  
  
After that wave of fire had ceased, the woman popped out from behind the dumpster. "Hey! Watch this!" The woman picked up an aluminum can and held it in her hand.  
  
Out of sheer curiosity, Pyro lowered his guard to see what she would do.  
  
In her hand, the pop can began to glow redder and redder until it burst in a ball of flame.  
  
"Woo!" she yelled. "Haven't done that one in a while!"  
  
Pyro's mind was racing. Could she be a pyrokinetic?  
  
"Well, sheila, get a load o' this one!" He created a giant bull elemental that almost ran her down. But, to Pyro's surprise, she didn't try to dodge the 2000-degree bovine.  
  
Her eyes began to glow red on black and the bull vanished as it neared her.  
  
"All rightie, then," Pyro rubbed his hands together in anticipation. "I'm gonna 'ave to whip out the big guns, eh?" He created an entire herd of fire elemental horses, chuckling all the while.  
  
Her eyes glowed like embers and she began waving her hand, as if conducting a band. The horses made an about face and charged after their creator.  
  
Pyro stared in disbelief. "She's turned me own guns against me!" When he realized that a disabling blast of is own pyrokinesis wouldn't stop the horses, he ran for cover.  
  
The woman's eyes returned to normal when she heard voices approaching the alley. She scaled the wall at the end of the alley, leaving Pyro cowering in the corner as the horses got closer. When he finally regained control of his power, the horses evaporated in a puff of smoke.  
  
Gambit and Jennie ran up to Pyro, who was still huddled in the corner. "Are you ok, mon ami?"  
  
"Crickey! What a woman!"  
  
Gambit, puzzled, looked at Jennie. "What a what?"  
  
"She's bloody amazing!" Pyro's eyes grew larger with each word.  
  
Confused, Jennie arched an eyebrow. "Is he talking about that stupid lighter again?"  
  
"A regular Fire Goddess!!!"  
  
"Gambit sure hope not, chère."  
  
They both decided that it would be a lot safer to escort the googlie eyed Pyro back to the base for the night. 


	3. Garden of Aidan

Chapter 3  
Garden of Aidan  
  
A little girl was playing in a field of wildflowers. Her red hair shimmered in the sunlight as she chased after butterflies. From a distance a woman yelled: "Aidan! Time to come home!" The little girl ran happily towards the woman's voice and a small cottage came into view. As the girl neared the cottage, her eyes began to glow red. The girl fell to her knees and covered her eyes, but it was too late: the house and its inhabitants were already ablaze. A woman's voice emerged from the burning cottage: "Aidan! Why?!"  
  
* * *  
  
"NNNOOOO!"  
  
Aidan sat bolt upright in bed, sweat dripping from her forehead. Outside it thundered. Aidan's eyes glowed and the candle on her nightstand ignited. She thought that the nightmares would go away. They didn't. It seemed that every time she used her powers, the dreams would get worse... more vivid. They had started up again, after a six-year hiatus, when she exploded the pop can in the alley. That was three days ago.  
  
"Maybe I should go see a shrink," Aidan muttered, easing back into her pillow. "That won't work... Shrink'll probably just ask me to tell how much I hate my mother... Which is the complete opposite of the problem I have here."  
  
There was a knock on her bedroom door.  
  
"Aidan?" a female voice called. "You ok?"  
  
"I'm fine, George. Come on in."  
  
Georgia Matthews, Aidan's roommate, stepped into the bedroom. George's parents were staunch anti-mutant activists. It seemed as though George was following in her parent's footsteps. On several occasions she had mentioned how mutants were a "burden to society". George was Aidan's friend only because she didn't know about Aidan's "gift".  
  
"You sure you're all right? This is the third time this week you've scared me like this." George walked over and sat on the edge of the bed.  
  
"I'm fine. Just a nightmare." Aidan twiddled her thumbs. "Nothing much."  
  
George gave Aidan a lopsided smirk. "Sorry, sweetheart, but people don't scream bloody murder over 'nothing much'."  
  
Aidan shrugged. "Guess I just need to cut back on all the psycho-thrillers from Blockbuster."  
  
"Like I couldn't sense the sarcasm there. Was it the same nightmare as the past two nights?" When Aidan didn't answer, George pushed forward. "Maybe you should talk to a psychologist. They might be able to help."  
  
"A psychologist?" Aidan said, more rudely than she had intended. "A psychologist? Are you kidding me? A psychologist wouldn't understand!"  
  
Aidan stood up and grabbed her mini-backpack.  
  
"Where are you going?" George asked, sounding too maternal for Aidan's taste.  
  
"Out."  
  
With that, Aidan slammed the door and left George alone in the candle light.  
  
* * *  
  
"A psychologist..." Aidan muttered in disgust as she switched lanes on the empty street. She had changed from her pajamas -a red hoodie and flannels- to a black jumpsuit, red thigh high boots and red elbow length gloves.  
  
"I didn't kill her," she muttered, "the lynch mob did... It wasn't my fault. It wasn't my fault."  
  
As the mantra continued and the wind whipped through her hair, she began to feel better... slightly. If there was only someone for her to talk to. George, like the psychologist, wouldn't get it. Mutants don't have feelings, do they? Mutants aren't even human. She was alone.  
  
No, wait...  
  
She wasn't alone. There was the other fire starter. Maybe if she could find him.  
  
Maybe... Nah. Although his attempt failed -miserably- he did try to kill her.  
  
But he was incredibly handsome... and, man, did that boy have style. Orange hair. Who woulda thunk it? If only there was a way to talk to him. Get a name or an address or... or a date.  
  
"Quit thinkin' that way, girl." Aidan smirked hopefully. "You're supposed to be depressed."  
  
She couldn't help it though. Every time she thought of him she was... well... happy.  
  
* * *  
  
Aidan sat on a rock overlooking the town of Bayville. The sun was just beginning to rise, and Aidan still hadn't stopped thinking about the mutant with the orange hair.  
  
"Well, it almost seemed like he was competing with me. Those horses were a challenge... even for me. He has amazing control; great skill... Hmmm."  
  
She created a tiny fire elemental ballerina and made it dance as she thought.  
  
How was she going to find him? It wasn't like there was a club for pyrokinetics or anything.  
  
The 7 Eleven!  
  
That's when she first saw him. No car, though. He had to be within walking distance of the 7 Eleven.  
  
She waved her hand through the ballerina and it disappeared. She hopped on her bike and sped off towards the 7 Eleven. 


	4. Hot, hot, hot

Chapter 4  
Hot, Hot, Hot  
  
Gambit, Jennie, and Colossus were seated around the breakfast table.  
  
"When you guys first met St. John he was insane, right?" Jennie asked with a mouthful of Froot Loops.  
  
Gambit and Colossus nodded slowly.  
  
"Why do you ask?" Colossus questioned.  
  
"Just making sure." Jennie swiveled the spoon around in her cereal. "Is it just me, or is there something... different about him?"  
  
"What d'you mean, chère?" Gambit asked after taking a sip of orange juice.  
  
Before Jennie could answer, Pyro walked into the kitchen. Alongside him was a 5'8" shapely woman fire elemental.  
  
"Like I was sayin', love," Pyro said to the fire woman, "the rain in Spain falls on the plain. Now, where I come from, it barely ev'a rains! Minus the deadly wildlife, it's the most perfect place on Earth!"  
  
Pyro, still babbling about the Outback, exited the room with the elemental.  
  
"I see what you mean," Colossus said. "This sort of behavior is weird... even for him."  
  
"Can't you two see?" Gambit asked in disbelief. "Our resident pyrokinetic is in amore. Gambit recognize da symptoms any day."  
  
"But is being that much in love -with that thing- healthy?" Jennie asked.  
  
Colossus was about to say something, when he noticed movement out of the corner of his eye. Pyro and the fire woman were nuzzling noses out on the patio. Colossus hung his head, sighed, and continued buttering his toast.  
  
* * *  
  
Aidan, having changed back into her hoodie and flannels, stepped out of the 7 Eleven with a cup of coffee. She walked over to her bike and sat on the seat. "This coffee tastes like mud."  
  
"What do you expect? It's a 7 Eleven, not a Starbucks," a female voice pointed out.  
  
Aidan turned to see a woman in a teal Johnny collar top. Her hair was the color of French vanilla ice cream with blue streaks... Odd...  
  
"You've got a point there," Aidan responded.  
  
"I'm Jennie," the woman said, sticking out her hand.  
  
"Aidan." She shook Jennie's hand.  
  
"So," Jennie said, sitting on the curb, "how are you?"  
  
"Tired... bored..." Her stomach growled. "A little hungry. I only had enough money for el cheapo coffee."  
  
"Rough. You from around here?"  
  
"Sorta. I share an apartment downtown with a friend. Moved back to the States a few years ago."  
  
"Moved back?" Jennie cocked her head. "Where did you live?"  
  
"Well." Aidan took a sip of the mud and continued. "My parents were from Jersey and we moved to New Zealand when I was about a year old. Lived there until I was seven. Then left for Cairo, then Rome, then Iceland. Got back here about three years ago."  
  
"Sounds interesting."  
  
"You have no idea." Aidan's gaze locked on a nearby squirrel. She wished she could set the annoying rodent on fire. "So, how about you... Jennie?"  
  
"Well, I was born in Bermuda. Man, do I miss that place. You realize how annoying snow really is? Anyway, in 1996, my mom and I almost died during a hurricane. My dad and brother did... After that, mom decided that we should move somewhere safer. That's when we moved to Bayville. My mom died of a heart attack last year. Since then, I've lived with a couple... friends."  
  
"Wow."  
  
"Yeah, I know." Jennie decided it was time to feel Aidan out. "So, you said you moved back here three years ago. That's about when all the hype about the mutants started up."  
  
Oh, no, Aidan thought. Not another mutant-hater -Damn, that squirrel was annoying- If this Jennie hated mutants, she swore the whole 7 Eleven was going up in smoke.  
  
"Yeah. Why?" Aidan asked, cautiously.  
  
"Oh, nothing. I just wanted your opinion, that's all."  
  
"I thought mutants were like religion and politics: not discussed in polite conversation."  
  
Jennie chuckled. "I know what you mean. I wish people would just drop it already. I mean, what did mutants ever do to them?"  
  
Wow, Aidan thought, an ally. Better not let her in on the secret just yet. Maybe she feels this way because she's never met a mutant before.  
  
"Seriously," Aidan agreed, "I actually think being a mutant would be kinda cool, y'know? Having special powers and all."  
  
"Yeah, that would be pretty nifty."  
  
Jennie scratched her elbow. This Aidan character was pretty unusual. A person who actually liked mutants. That was about as common as someone who thought having The Plague was cool. You don't come across that everyday.  
  
Even though she was about Jennie's height, build, and skin tone, she had an odd look about her. Her two most striking features were her hair and her eyes. Her hair was down, reaching to about her kidneys, and slightly messy... kinda windblown with a little bit of curl. The color was absolutely amazing: so red it almost looked as though it was on fire. Her eyes, though, were what made Jennie suspicious. At times the brown part looked like it bled into the white part. And besides, it looked like she was hiding something.  
  
"Where are you headed?" Aidan asked, snapping Jennie out of her thoughts.  
  
"Oh, uh, about twenty miles south of here."  
  
"Twenty miles?! You walked that far to get to a 7 Eleven?" Aidan's jaw hit the handlebars.  
  
"It's not that bad," Jennie replied. "I do it about once a week. Keeps me in shape."  
  
"Well, how 'bout I give you a ride?" Aidan offered. "Unless you want your legs to turn to Jell-O."  
  
Jennie smiled. "Sure. Why not?"  
  
Jennie hopped onto the bike and held on to Aidan's waist. Aidan started the bike, revved it a few times, and took off out of the parking lot. Strangely enough, although it was mid-October and beginning to cool down, Aidan was so warm it seemed as though her molecules were moving in double time. Besides that, the ride to the base was pretty uneventful. Except, Aidan knew Jennie couldn't see her eyes and had a little bit of fun spontaneously combusting a blue jay.  
  
Jennie had Aidan stop at the bottom of a winding driveway. "Thanks a lot. Talk to you later?"  
  
"Sure," Aidan responded, "see you around." She revved the bike and sped off.  
  
As Jennie stood in the driveway watching Aidan leave, the parts of her body that were in contact with Aidan were tingling because they were so warm. 


	5. Enter the XMen

Chapter 5  
Enter the X-Men  
  
Aidan spent the better part of the morning and afternoon searching for the fire starter. She had gone back to the 7 Eleven and searched a ten mile radius around the building. Around three o'clock she gave up and drove to the wharf.  
  
It was useless.  
  
She'd never find him.  
  
* * *  
  
Jennie knocked on the bathroom door. "Remy?" She knocked again. "Remy, what are you doing?"  
  
"Bon Dieu, chère! What you t'ink goin' on in here?" came the disgruntled reply.  
  
"I'm bored."  
  
"And?"  
  
"AND, I was wondering if you were busy."  
  
"Well, chère, at da moment, Gambit be a little tied up."  
  
"Ok, then."  
  
Jennie wandered through the house in search of Piotr. "Hey! Piotr! Where are you?!"  
  
In the kitchen, Piotr rolled his eyes. "I am in the kitchen."  
  
"What 'cha doin'?" Jennie asked as she sat at the table.  
  
Piotr didn't reply and filled in the answer to 32 down.  
  
"Oh, so you're playing the strong, silent type today. I know how to fix that."  
  
Jennie leaned closer and looked over his shoulder. He tried his best to ignore her, but she began to hum. He filled in about six more answers before he threw down his pencil.  
  
"Ok! What do you want?!" he huffed.  
  
"Nothing. I was just bored and wondered what everybody was doing. Remy's a little preoccupied, so I decided to bug the hell outta you," she smirked.  
  
"Well, you've done a good job..."  
  
"Where's St. John?"  
  
"Who knows. Probably out on the patio with that blow up doll for pyromaniacs."  
  
Wow, Jennie thought, that was the most she's ever heard Piotr talk. Usually he was so quiet and reserved.  
  
"Oh...yeah..."  
  
Remy sauntered into the kitchen, opened the fridge, and cracked open a Mountain Dew.  
  
Jennie made an angry face. "That's mine."  
  
Gambit, being ever so suave, ignored her. "So, chère, what was it you wan'ed?"  
  
Jennie rolled her eyes. "Are you bored?"  
  
"Little bit."  
  
"Wanna go reek random havoc?"  
  
"Sound like fun." He turned toward Piotr. "You comin', mon ami."  
  
Piotr raised an eyebrow and continued with his crossword.  
  
Gambit put his arm around Jennie. "Guess it's jus' you 'n me, petite."  
  
Jennie was a little less than enthusiastic. "Goodie... you owe me a Mountain Dew."  
  
* * *  
  
Aidan let her leg dangle over the edge of the pier and watched the small currents and eddies float in the harbor. After the fifth eddy took the shape of the fire mutant's face, she decided that she was going mad.  
  
Suddenly a loud BOOM pulled her from her daydreams. Smoke was coming from one of the boathouses. Where there was smoke, there was fire, right? Maybe it was him. God, she hoped so.  
  
Aidan stood up and ran for the boathouse. She couldn't pinpoint where the smoke was coming from. As she stood motionless, trying to figure out what to do next, an Ace of Spades floated to her feet. She was about to pick it up when she noticed it was glowing. Glowing was bad.  
  
She jumped behind some boxes as the card exploded  
  
"What the hell..." she muttered.  
  
"Look like you show up at da wrong time, no?" a very Cajun voice asked.  
  
She looked up and saw a man in a trench coat standing on top of the boxes. She walked backwards, not daring to take her eyes off of him, and into a forklift.  
  
He gracefully jumped from the boxes and walked towards her. Before he got within touching distance, she ran.  
  
"Aw, come on, petite! Gambit not gon' hurt 'cha!" he yelled after her.  
  
Ok, she thought, why is that all the cute guys around here have sexy accents and are trying to kill me? Maybe I should just move back to Iceland. No sexy accents there.  
  
As she rounded the corner, she was hit full force by a wave of water. She stood up and created her own personal blow dryer. After about thirty seconds, she was dry again. When she looked up, she saw a woman in a sky blue jumpsuit. She had dark blue knee high boots, wrist length gloves with the fingers cut out and a wave neckline. Aqua slash marks were on her sides and on her shoulders, and her hair was in a French Twist. She stood next to the man in the trench coat.  
  
"Oh, look, Gambit," she said. "A civilian. How lovely!"  
  
"What do you want?" Aidan asked, preparing to use her powers.  
  
"Want?" the woman laughed. "Why would we want anything?" Now, a thirty- foot wall of water was suspended behind her.  
  
Aidan's eyes glowed red on black. The air molecules around Aidan acted as a shield, and as the wall of water collapsed, it evaporated before it even hit her.  
  
"Impressive, mademoiselle," Gambit applauded, "but try to evaporate dis!" He sent an arsenal of energized cards her way.  
  
In defense, Aidan shot flames at the incoming cards. Because she had never fought with her powers, her aim was slightly off... ok, she hit two out of twelve, but who's counting? Luckily, she managed to dodge the rest.  
  
The woman created a cyclone of water that picked Aidan up off her feet and sent her crashing into a concrete wall.  
  
As Aidan lost consciousness, she heard: "Nice work, Tsunami. Dépêche-toi. Let's go down and have ourselves a drink."  
  
* * *  
  
Same little redhead girl, same field of wildflowers, same dream. Aidan saw the house go up in flames; heard her mother's cries. Only this time, she could smell the smoke, feel the heat. Normally, she would wake up screaming at this point. No such luck. There was a flash of black and then the little girl was playing behind a tent in the Cairo marketplace. A little boy tried to take her ball. She got angry and her eyes began to glow. The tent caught fire and she ran. Not again... The little boy's words echoed behind her: "You're a freak!"  
  
* * *  
  
"Hurry! I think she is vaking up!"  
  
Aidan moaned. "My head..." She opened her eyes and saw a fuzzy blue face.  
  
"AAAAHHHHHH!!!"  
  
"AAAAHHHHHH!!!"  
  
Aidan turned her head and saw a larger fuzzy blue face in a white lab coat.  
  
"Are you all right?" the second blue guy asked.  
  
"AAAAHHHHHH!!!!"  
  
"Beast!" the first blue guy yelled. "Tell her to stop vith the screaming!"  
  
"Well, if you'd get outta her face..." Beast muttered to himself as Aidan continued to scream.  
  
Beast walked over to Aidan. "Calm down. You'll be ok."  
  
"Where am I?" Aidan noticed the IVs, heart monitors, thermometers, and various other medical paraphernalia. "What are you doing to me?" She sat up and began pulling at the brainwave sensors.  
  
"If you will calm down, all of your questions will be answered momentarily." A man in a wheel chair maneuvered into the room. "I am Professor Charles Xavier. And you are at my school for gifted youngsters."  
  
Aidan, a little calmer, got up from the bed. "Can you please explain what's going on? And who are they?"  
  
"This," the Professor said motioning to the blue guy in the lab coat, "is Mr. Hank McCoy, and this is Kurt Wagner. Hank is a faculty member here at the Institute and Kurt is a student."  
  
"How did I get here?" Aidan then realized she was in a hospital gown and promptly sat back down.  
  
Kurt bampfed out of the room and bampfed back a few seconds later with a bundle of clothes.  
  
"If you'll get dressed, I will answer that question and introduce you to a few others."  
  
The Professor wheeled out of the room and Kurt and Beast followed.  
  
* * *  
  
"This is Cerebro," the Professor said as he and Aidan entered the room.  
  
"Wow," Aidan whispered, looking around. "What is it?"  
  
"Basically, it is a computer. It controls the Institute and is also a highly developed mutant detector."  
  
"Mutant detector?"  
  
"When a mutant uses his or her power anywhere in the world, Cerebro can detect it and pinpoint the mutant's location within a five mile radius."  
  
"Wow," she whispered again. "Is this how you found me?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"So, does it tell you about the mutant? Y'know, like what they... do?"  
  
"Unfortunately, no. Cerebro cannot tell what a mutant's abilities are."  
  
"This place is amazing... so, who are these 'others'?" 


	6. Firestorm

Chapter 6  
Firestorm  
  
Everyone was assembled in the library: Jean, Scott, Evan, Kitty, Kurt, Rogue, Storm, Beast, Wolverine, and Bobby.  
  
"Everyone," the Professor said, "I would like you to meet Aidan Anderson."  
  
Everyone warmly greeted Aidan.  
  
"Hi..." Aidan said, slightly nervous. She never did enjoy public speaking.  
  
The Professor introduced each X-Man individually and told Aidan what their powers were.  
  
"So," Kitty asked, "like, what do you do?"  
  
Aidan looked at the Professor, who nodded, and then to the others.  
  
Aidan closed her eyes and raised her hands in front of her. Everyone watched intently as Aidan's hands began to smoke. She made a ball with her hands and opened her eyes, which had changed to the glowing red on black. When Aidan opened her hands, there was a baseball-sized ball of fire in her left hand. She moved her right hand in a circle and the ball began to elongate into a tornado. It grew larger and larger until Aidan had to use both hands to control its intensity. Suddenly the tornado burst into an eight-foot tall dragon. It flapped its wings a few times and then disappeared. Aidan's eyes returned to normal.  
  
"I'm a pyrokinetic," Aidan stated matter-of-factly. "You can call me Firestorm."  
  
* * *  
  
Jennie and Gambit returned home later that evening. As they were walking up the driveway, St. John threw open the front door.  
  
"Oi! Where were you blokes all day? The Tin Man and I were gettin' worried."  
  
"Oh, nowhere," Jennie said, "just out destroying the wharf district."  
  
"And you di'n't invite me?" St. John looked hurt. "How rude."  
  
"Go turn on da news. Gambit bet dey do an exposé."  
  
Sure enough, when St. John turned on the news there was footage of the two of them destroying the pier. In the background, an "unnamed civilian" was knocked out on the ground.  
  
"By Crickey, that sheila looks familiar," Pyro muttered. "Where 'ave I seen 'er before?"  
  
"That is nonsense, my friend," Colossus said, sitting in the Lay-Z-Boy. "You haven't been out of the house long enough to meet any women."  
  
"That's it!" Pyro yelled, jumping up. "That day I fried the bunnies at the rock quarry! That's when I saw 'er!"  
  
Gambit and Jennie exchanged worried glances. Great. Now they'll have to up St. John's medication; he was already up to 700mgs of Valium as it is.  
  
"She wasn't a civilian, was she, mate?" he said, nose to nose with Gambit.  
  
"No," he said, "dat femme is a kick ass fire starter."  
  
"I knew it!" Pyro yelled gleefully. "That's my sheila! The Fire Goddess from the alley! I 'ave to find 'er! What'd you do with 'er, mate?"  
  
"Uhhhh..." Neither Gambit nor Jennie knew what to say.  
  
The grin on Pyro's face melted away. "You did stash 'er somewhere, right?"  
  
"No," Jennie said bluntly. "We basically left her there."  
  
"What?! You left me sheila to the wolves?! 'Ow could you?!" Pyro exited the room.  
  
Jennie looked at Colossus. "That's why you didn't go, isn't it? You knew this was gonna happen, didn't you?"  
  
Colossus tilted his head. "A wise man once told me: **Speaks in Russian**." He then got up and exited the room.  
  
Jennie looked at Gambit. "What's that supposed to mean?"  
  
"S'all Greek to me, chère."  
  
"Russian!" Colossus called from the kitchen. "I speak Russian!"  
  
* * *  
  
That evening at the Xavier Institute, Aidan was outside watching the younger students play mutant ball, when Scott walked up to her.  
  
"So, Aidan." He sat down next to her on the fountain. "How are you?"  
  
"Scott, right?"  
  
He nodded.  
  
"I'm fine," Aidan answered. "My head still hurts a bit, but otherwise I'm just ducky."  
  
"I'd be surprised if your head didn't hurt. Tsunami hit you against that wall pretty hard. You were out cold for a good five or six hours."  
  
"Tsunami? Was that the girl in the blue?"  
  
"Yeah. The Cajun was her teammate Gambit-"  
  
"Though rumor has it, they're, like, a lot more than teammates," Kitty said, phasing up next to Scott.  
  
"Kitty! I wish you wouldn't do that!" Scott yelled.  
  
"Like, sorry, but I couldn't help overhearing."  
  
"You mean eavesdropping." Scott glared at her, well, as well as he could through those shades.  
  
"Whatever." Kitty dismissed his glare with a wave of her hand and then turned her attention to Aidan. "So, anyway, are you doing ok?"  
  
"Yeah," Aidan said, automatically disliking the valley-girl-speak. "A little confused, but other than that and a massive migraine, I'm doin' all right."  
  
"That's cool," Kitty said. "Well, I've gotta get going, but I hope you totally like it here!" She phased through the ground.  
  
"So, Scott?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Exactly what happened to me? I don't remember too much."  
  
"Well." Scott pulled his left knee up to his chin. "I'm not sure exactly what happened before we got there, but I'll try to fill ya in. The Prof told Jean, Logan, Ororo, and me about the mutant activity at the wharf: Gambit, Tsunami, and an unknown mutant. We showed up just as you were picked up by a cyclone and tossed into the warehouse wall. Tsunami and Gambit made a break for it and we brought you back to the Institute to recover."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"What were you doing at the wharf anyway?"  
  
"I don't exactly remember," Aidan lied. She recognized Scott. He and Evan had been chasing the fire starter the other day. If Scott knew that she was looking for the fire starter, he may not be so friendly. Besides, she had heard of the good Professor and his X-Men when all that Apocalypse stuff was on the news. They were the good guys.  
  
"Oh. Um... would you like me to show you around?" Scott asked, blushing slightly. "I mean, unless you have other plans or... something..."  
  
Aidan smirked. "Sure."  
  
She stood and followed Scott toward the mansion.  
  
From behind a tree, Jean Grey glared ruefully at them. 


	7. Night of the Cow

Chapter 7  
Night of the Cow  
  
Pyro sat atop the Bayville Bridge. Construction on it was finally complete after his last little spree had exploded an oil tanker and almost killed about a hundred people. That was fun.  
  
He had already been to the wharf, but the police still had it roped off and guarded, so he couldn't complete the thorough search he had planned. What to do now was a mystery.  
  
He knew what he wanted to do, but that wouldn't help matters much. No matter how much joy playing with fire would bring, it would lead to a horrible depression. Lately, the depression didn't even wait for him to finish having fun. It sucked. Playing with fire would just emphasize how poor of a tracker he was. Dammit, if Gambit and Jennie hadn't scared her off in the alley, he wouldn't be in this mess right now.  
  
Against his better judgment, he created a small fireball and tossed it back and forth as he thought.  
  
* * *  
  
Remy, Jennie, and Piotr were watching Kids in the Hall on Comedy Central. Featured this evening was the skit "The Night of the Cow". Wasn't late night programming great?  
  
"I do not understand," Piotr said. "Why is it the night of the cow? Clearly, nothing good can happen to the cow."  
  
"Piotr," Jennie said, "chill out. It's just a comedy. It's not supposed to make sense. There is no plotline like in your books. The show's just there to be funny."  
  
Piotr leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. He held the remote under his chin as he stared at the TV. "I still don't get it..."  
  
Suddenly, a loud POP was heard by all in the living room. Piotr discretely stuffed the busted remote between the couch and the couch cushions.  
  
Jennie, confused by the pop, looked at Remy, but he was too wrapped up with the "Night of the Cow". She looked at Piotr and slowly inched her hand over his lap toward the break between the cushion and the couch.  
  
"What you t'ink you're doin'," Remy asked glaring at Jennie.  
  
Jennie stopped mid-reach. She put on her brightest fake smile and spun towards Remy, quickly bringing her hand to her lap. "Popcorn?"  
  
Remy, not taking his eyes off of Jennie or Piotr, reached over the arm of the couch and picked up a bowl of popcorn. He held it in front of Jennie's face. "Dis popcorn?"  
  
Jennie, fake smile still plastered to her face, pulled out a few kernels. "Why, yes. Thank you, dear."  
  
Remy placed the popcorn bowl back on the floor and returned his attention to the TV.  
  
Jennie, however, returned her attention to what Piotr had hidden in the couch. Slowly, she leaned forward, trying to see around his tree-trunk of a leg.  
  
Remy looked over at Jennie and pulled a classic double take. He tapped her shoulder with two fingers. "Ah-hem..."  
  
Jennie, still leaning forward, turned her head toward Remy. "My Mountain Dew..."  
  
Remy nodded toward the Mountain Dew in his left hand. "Gambit been drinkin' your Mountain Dew."  
  
Jennie sat up. "How did you get that?!"  
  
By this time, the "Night of the Cow" was over. She turned to Piotr. "You were supposed to be watching my Mountain Dew."  
  
"I know nothing of the sort," he replied.  
  
Remy gave Jennie a 'what-were-you-doing' look.  
  
"The remote, ok, Remy. I was looking for the remote."  
  
"Da remote?"  
  
"Yes, the remote. Where is it Piotr?"  
  
Piotr tried his best to look innocent. "Remote? What remote?"  
  
Remy rolled his eyes, stood up, and stretched. "Gambit goin' ta bed." He went to his room and closed the door, leaving Jennie and Piotr alone on the couch.  
  
Piotr reached into the couch, pulled out the remote, and handed it to Jennie. A few buttons were missing, the frame was cracked, and the little laser bulb was bobbing by a spring. Piotr smiled sheepishly, stood up, and went to his room.  
  
Jennie walked up to Remy's room, opened the door, and threw the remote at him. "I told you so!!"  
  
She slammed the door and went to her room.  
  
* * *  
  
Aidan was sitting on the couch trying to figure out a way to find the fire starter. It wasn't like she could just get up and leave; she had no idea where she was.  
  
Suddenly, Jean Grey plopped down next to her. "Hi."  
  
Aidan jumped. "Hi."  
  
"What's wrong?" Jean asked trying to read Aidan's mind.  
  
"Oh, nothing. You just startled me." Aidan began twiddling her thumbs.  
  
"Oh, sorry," Jean said. "I didn't mean to."  
  
"That's all right," Aidan replied. Her palms began to itch with the need to create fire. She looked at Jean and then proceeded to sit on her hands.  
  
"So, did Scott show you around?"  
  
"Yeah." Aidan caught the slightest bit of jealousy in Jean's voice. "Why?"  
  
"Just curious. Usually when new recruits show up here, either Scott or I show them around. I just wondered if you got the tour yet."  
  
"Yeah. This place is nice. I can't wait to get into the Danger Room."  
  
"You'll regret you said that. Logan'll kill you in there."  
  
Aidan stifled a giggle. As soon as the Professor introduced 'Wolverine' she could tell he wasn't one for fun and games.  
  
"So... Are you and Scott a couple?" Aidan asked.  
  
"Uh, yeah... I guess you could say that," Jean replied. Damn. Aidan was on to her. She didn't get what she wanted out of Aidan's mind yet. She had to suppress her anger and jealousy and try harder.  
  
"You two look good together," Aidan muttered. For a split second though, she let down her guard and thought about the fire mutant.  
  
"Well, see you tomorrow," Jean said. "Be ready to go bright and early!"  
  
Jean had what she wanted. 


	8. Exposed

Chapter 8  
Exposed  
  
The next morning, Jean sat on her bed brushing her hair. In twenty minutes everyone was meeting in the Danger Room to give Aidan her first lesson.  
  
She knew Scott had a crush on Aidan. Jean could tell the minute they hauled Aidan into the MediBay. A later use of her powers confirmed her suspicions. But how to get Scott's mind off of lil' miss hot stuff and back on Jean was a different story... Until Jean got the brilliant idea to do a mind probe on Aidan and dig up some juicy past secrets. Besides the fact that everyone's new favorite redhead was a murderer, she happened to have a crush on the enemy.  
  
This is wonderful, Jean thought.  
  
I like Scott; Scott likes me.  
  
Aidan hates me; I hate her.  
  
Scott likes her; she likes Pyro.  
  
Oh, this is gonna be good...  
  
* * *  
  
At the Acolyte base, Gambit and Jennie were at the breakfast table. Gambit was stirring his coffee and Jennie was poking her fork at her scrambled eggs.  
  
"You know, Remy, St. John's been out all night. I'm beginning to worry."  
  
"Y'know, chère, you been t'inkin' 'bout him a lot lately. Gambit beginnin' ta wonder jus' what you mean by dat."  
  
"I don' mean nuttin'," Jennie mocked. "I'm just worried about all the innocent people he might fry. You saw how upset he was when he left."  
  
"But what're we gon'a do, chère? We don' know where he is." Gambit kicked his feet up on the table and took a sip of coffee.  
  
"What about his pager? You think he took that with him?" Jennie knocked Gambit's feet back down.  
  
"Wouldn't do any good if'e did. He fried it last week."  
  
"Dammit. Do they make flame retardant electronics? We may need to invest in some of those..." Jennie took a bite of her eggs. "...and an adamantium remote."  
  
Colossus stuck his head in the kitchen doorway. "Um, maybe you two should have a look at this. Pyro's on the news."  
  
Jennie and Gambit exchanged glanced and bolted for the living room. On the TV, Chopper 10 was busy relaying live footage of a lunatic with orange hair and a flamethrower trashing the Bayville Car Yard.  
  
"Well. Now, we know where he is," Jennie muttered.  
  
* * *  
  
Jean, Scott, Kitty, Kurt, and Aidan were in the Danger Room awaiting instructions from Wolverine and the Professor.  
  
"All right, Cyke," Wolverine's voice thundered over the loudspeaker, "run Operation Gamma Delta 5."  
  
"Gamma Delta 5?" Scott asked. "Don't you think that'd be too rough for her?"  
  
"Run Operation Gamma Delta 5," Jean commanded and the Danger room began to shift. It changed into a beautiful and serene meadow.  
  
"This is it?" Aidan asked incredulously. "This is the infamous Gamma Delta 5?"  
  
Suddenly a laser shot at the group. Aidan ducked as the beam phased through Kitty.  
  
"Ok! I take that back!" Aidan said, rolling over to Kurt.  
  
A Sentinel appeared over the ridgeline.  
  
"That's what's shooting at us?!" Aidan yelled, wide eyed.  
  
"Ja," Kurt said, "and it only gets worse." He grabbed her and bampfed her out of the way as the Sentinel shot another beam. They rematerialized behind Scott who sent an optic blast at the Sentinel's arm.  
  
After a few more minutes of dodging bombs and laser beams, Aidan began to get a feel for the Danger Room. "Let me try this!" Her eyes changed and she shot a wall of fire at the Sentinel's chest. It cracked and fizzed, but didn't stop the metal behemoth.  
  
"Not bad," Kitty applauded. "Go for its knee!"  
  
Aidan sent another stream of fire for the Sentinel's kneecap, and as quickly as the Danger Room had changed the first time, it changed back.  
  
"Woo!" Aidan yelled. "Did I get it?"  
  
Professor X came over the intercom. "Scott, Jean, Kitty, Kurt, meet Wolverine and Rogue at the X-Jet. The Acolytes are at the Bayville Car Yard."  
  
"The Car Yard?" Kitty questioned.  
  
"You guys heard him," Jean said. "Let's move!"  
  
Scott turned to Aidan. "Wanna come along? You'll get to see us in action."  
  
"Sure."  
  
* * *  
  
He knew he shouldn't have done this, but he couldn't help himself. He smelled the gasoline, and nobody could stop him. Now, half of the junkyard was on fire, and the other half was waiting just for him.  
  
Tsunami and Gambit appeared below the tower of crushed car chassis' that Pyro was using as his own personal throne.  
  
"Pyro! What do you think you're doing?" Jennie screamed.  
  
"Just 'avin' a blast, sheila!" Pyro yelled back, igniting an '87 Cavalier as he spoke.  
  
"We need to get out of here!" Jennie yelled to him as she extinguished a carburetor.  
  
Pyro cackled and a firebird set a few more towers on fire.  
  
"St. John Allerdyce, you get your ass down here!" Jennie yelled, trying her best to put out what Pyro had set on fire.  
  
Pyro ignored her and rekindled everything she had just extinguished.  
  
"That's it!" Jennie screamed. "We're going home RIGHT NOW!!!!"  
  
"Aw, chère, don' yell at da boy."  
  
"Shut up, you-"  
  
Before Jennie could finish her smashing insult, the X-Jet landed in the yard.  
  
"Great!" Jennie yelled over the jet and the raging inferno. "This is just great! Not only do we have a psychopathic pyrokinetic to worry about, now we have the X-losers!"  
  
Cyclops, Jean, Wolverine, Kitty, Kurt, and Rogue ran out of the jet and into the heart of the inferno.  
  
Aidan watched from the cockpit as Gambit sent some energized cards at them and Cyclops blasted one after the other.  
  
Tsunami sent a tidal wave after Kitty, Kurt, and Rogue, but Kitty phased through it and Kurt bampfed himself and Rogue to safety.  
  
"Gambit!" Tsunami yelled. "Distract them! I'll go after Pyro!"  
  
"Distract 'em? By myself? You're crazy, girl!" He popped out his staff and pole vaulted over a charging Wolverine.  
  
Tsunami climbed the tower of cars to get to Pyro. She grabbed him from behind and they fell towards the ground.  
  
Just as Pyro saw his life flash before his eyes, they stopped falling. Jean Grey had them suspended about twenty feet off the ground.  
  
"Why that crazy sheila jus' saved our lives," he said to Tsunami. Just as he finished his sentence, Jean mentally threw them into a wall of crushed cars.  
  
"You were saying..." Tsunami muttered after they hit the ground.  
  
Kurt bampfed into the X-Jet.  
  
"What's going on?" Aidan asked.  
  
"Vant to come and help?" Kurt asked, extending his hand. "Ve have them outnumbered."  
  
Aidan grabbed Kurt's hand and they bampfed outside. As soon as they materialized, a wall of fire headed straight for them. Aidan's eyes glowed and the fire dissolved around them.  
  
"Wow," Kurt said. "You're good."  
  
"Thanks," she replied, shooting fire at a car that almost toppled onto Cyclops. Amazingly, she hit it and he didn't die. He looked over at her and gave her a thumbs up.  
  
Jean noticed and decided it was time to end this. She lifted Pyro up from behind the '75 Mustang he was using as cover and held him in the air so he could see Aidan.  
  
Pyro braced himself for another trip to the wall. When he wasn't hurled backwards, he opened his eyes and saw a redhead in a black jumpsuit with red gloves and boots. His face lit up in a humungous smile.  
  
"Hey! Sheila!" he yelled and waved.  
  
On the ground, Aidan looked around, after she heard someone yelling.  
  
"Up 'ere!"  
  
She looked up and saw him! The fire starter! What a coinci- Wait a minute. Now all this fire made sense! He did it!  
  
"Hey, sheila! 'Ow 'bout givin' me a hand, eh?"  
  
Aidan looked over and saw that Jean was the one holding him in the air. Oh no, Jean knew. Aidan ran toward Gambit.  
  
"Firestorm!" Cyclops yelled. "NO!"  
  
Gambit saw her coming and fired a few energized cards in her direction. She created a shield of fire and each card vaporized as it hit. She began a martial arts type fight with Gambit to get close enough to talk.  
  
"Sorry, chère," Gambit said, "but dis is one fight, you're not gon' win."  
  
"Shut up and help him," Aidan said, trying a roundhouse kick.  
  
Gambit ducked. "What?"  
  
"The fire mutant," Aidan said, blocking a punch.  
  
Gambit saw Pyro in the air. He kicked Aidan in the stomach and she went down.  
  
Rogue rushed over to Aidan. "You all rahght?"  
  
Aidan coughed. "I think so..."  
  
As Rogue helped Aidan to her feet, they saw Jean get wiped out by a tidal wave and Pyro began to fall.  
  
"NO!" Aidan yelled, breaking away from Rogue. She concentrated and a huge hand of fire stopped Pyro's fall and placed him gently on the ground.  
  
"What the-" Wolverine said.  
  
"How'd he do that?" Kitty asked.  
  
"Pyro didn't do it," Rouge said, running up to them. "Firestorm did."  
  
Pyro shook his head. The X-sheila saved his life. He had to get to her somehow. He looked around and saw her lying on the ground. The poor girl looked like she just got hit by a Mack truck. That last power surge must've drained her right quick. Her ran over to her and cradled her head.  
  
"It's ok now, sheila. Pyro's 'ere."  
  
Aidan opened her eyes and saw him. Pyro.  
  
He lifted her up. "Let's get you outta 'ere, eh?" He ran for the fence, but was suddenly lifted off the ground.  
  
"Crickey! Not again! I've just about 'ad enough o' this!"  
  
"Let her go!" Jean commanded. If she played her cards right, Aidan would never bother her and Scott again.  
  
"No way! You'll 'ave to kill me first!" Pyro yelled.  
  
Aidan knew Jean wasn't the best telekinetic in the world. She couldn't control two things at once. Aidan lifted her hand and a flash of fire sent Jean hurtling into a wall.  
  
"Nice one, sheila!" Pyro blasted a hole in the fence and took off.  
  
"Did you see that?!" Kitty yelled. "Firestorm just blasted Jean!"  
  
"It couldn't be!" Cyclops yelled.  
  
"Yes, it could!" Rogue said. "We know you're not blind!"  
  
Cyclops ran over to Jean. As the other X-Men were wondering what the hell just happened, Tsunami and Gambit made a break for it.  
  
Cyclops held Jean's head in his lap. "Jean. Are you ok?"  
  
"I got a flash of her thoughts," Jean muttered. "She was an Acolyte spy." 


	9. Aidan's Past Revealed

Chapter 9  
Aidan's Past Revealed  
  
Gambit helped Jennie limp up the driveway.  
  
"Damn that Jean Grey," Jennie muttered. "Damn her, damn her, damn her."  
  
"It's all right, chère, Gambit give you a back rub."  
  
"I don't want a- a back rub? Really?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
"And make me a piña colada?"  
  
"Now you're pushin' it." He smirked.  
  
She smacked him and stormed through the front door.  
  
"Gambit jus' jokin' wit 'cha!" he yelled from the driveway.  
  
Jennie limped past Colossus on the couch and to the refrigerator. She opened the freezer door and proceeded to dig for something she could use as an ice pack.  
  
Gambit sat down next to Colossus. "So, mon ami, how much of us gettin' our asses kicked was on da news?"  
  
"The whole thing," Colossus replied. "They even preempted the regularly scheduled soap operas."  
  
Jennie walked into the living room, threw a bag of frozen broccoli onto the Lay-Z-Boy and sat on it. She closed her eyes and sighed. "Ahhhh... where's St. John?"  
  
"He hasn't come home yet," Colossus answered.  
  
"What?!" Gambit and Jennie yelled in unison.  
  
"He hasn't come home yet," Colossus repeated slowly.  
  
"Well, where is he?" Jennie asked, sitting up straight.  
  
"How should I know?" Colossus asked. "I'm not his mother."  
  
"Gambit, we need to go find him."  
  
"No, we don't," Gambit replied. "You got that bruise on your pretty lil' butt da last time we wen' lookin' for dat kid. Let 'im be chère. He'll come back when he's ready."  
  
"But, but-"  
  
Gambit raised a silencing hand and Jennie sank back into the Lay-Z-Boy, defeated.  
  
* * *  
  
Same little girl, same meadow, same marketplace, same little boy. "You're a freak!" A flash of black and the girl was asleep in Rome. There was a knock on the door and the police entered her room. She screamed. They tried to calm her down, but she kept screaming. Something about her father and a car accident. Her eyes began to glow and two of the officers caught fire. She pushed past another pair of policemen and ran down the hall. Another officer ran around the corner and caught her. He began to shake her and shake her...  
  
* * *  
  
"Wake up, sheila," Pyro said as he shook Aidan's shoulders. "Wake up."  
  
Aidan's eyes shot open and a blast of fire threw Pyro half way across the rock quarry.  
  
"G'day to you too," Pyro said, waving smoke out of his face. Thank God his jumper was flame retardant.  
  
"Where am I?" Aidan asked, quite frightened.  
  
"No worries, sheila," Pyro said, cautiously getting closer to her. "You're at the abandoned Bayville Rock Quarry. You were out for quite a bit. That fire hand was smashing though. Saved me life, you did."  
  
Aidan cocked her head and looked at the wacky Australian with the orange hair. As he got closer to her, his grin got wider and wider.  
  
Pyro.  
  
"I- I'm sorry," Aidan stammered. "They're normally not that bad."  
  
"No need to apologize," he said, sitting next to her. "What aren't that bad?"  
  
"The nightmares," Aidan replied, hugging her knees to her chest. "They come back every time I use my powers. They're normally not that bad."  
  
Pyro put his arm around her. "Now why would a pretty sheila like you 'ave nightmares?"  
  
"It's a long story," she said, leaning toward him. "I've never told anyone the entire truth..."  
  
"Well, go for it. We've got all day."  
  
"Well, when I was eight years old, I was playing in a field and suddenly I got dizzy and a nearby barn caught fire. I didn't know what to do. I went home and told my parents. They assured me it was just a coincidence, but they were wrong. Later that night a lynch mob showed up at my house and-"  
  
"A lynch mob?"  
  
"Yeah, I know. But it's the truth. Pitchforks 'n all. They threw rocks through the windows and set my house on fire. I tried to stop them, but I couldn't. I couldn't get my powers to work. My dad grabbed me and carried me out the back door. My mom died..."  
  
"Aw, sheila..." Pyro pulled her closer.  
  
"My dad and I fled to Egypt. One day I was playing with a boy in the market and I set a tent on fire. That's when I started having the nightmares. Dad and I left Cairo before anyone could figure out it was my fault."  
  
"Where'd ya go?"  
  
"Rome. One night, the police showed up at our house. I thought they were after me and I caught two of them on fire. It was an accident, but they died. Another officer caught me and told me that my dad had died in an auto accident on his way home from Germany. I broke free and ran. I was only thirteen. My nanny and I moved to Iceland. Once I quit using my power, the nightmares stopped. I tried so hard to control and stop using my powers."  
  
"Why would you wanna quit usin' your powers? Sounds like you've got an amazing gift."  
  
"Gift? A gift that killed my mom and two innocent policemen? It's not a gift; it's a curse. When I turned fifteen, I stowed away on a cargo ship for America, and wound up here in Bayville. Ever since that day in the alley, I've been having the nightmares again. I thought I had gotten rid of them three years ago..."  
  
"Well, the first thing ya gotta do is quit blamin' yourself for your mum's death. That wasn't your fault."  
  
"You don't know how many times I've told myself that one. It doesn't help." A single tear dripped down her cheek.  
  
"The second thing ya gotta do," he said, wiping away the tear, "is embrace your power. It really can be fun if you let it. Heck, I've had a bang up time the past couple o' years."  
  
"Fun? How can it be fun?"  
  
"You gotta be creative. Here. Lemme show you." He stood up and created a kangaroo elemental. It hopped around a bit and then he created a tiny woodpecker. It landed on the kangaroo and began pecking. The poor kangaroo had a hell of a time trying to box the woodpecker away. Aidan smiled and Pyro make the elementals evaporate. "See? Fun. You try."  
  
"No, I can't..."  
  
"Sure you can! Nev'a say 'can't'. That's bad language." He picked her up off the ground and stood her on her feet. "I'll start ya off."  
  
He made a box out of fire a few feet in front of them. Aidan looked at the box and then at him. He smiled and nodded toward the box. "Go on then..."  
  
Aidan's eyes began to glow and the box twisted into a butterfly. It flitted around for a bit and then turned into a bunny. After a few moments as a bunny, it evaporated.  
  
"Well," Pyro said, hand placed thoughtfully on his chin, "it's a start." 


	10. Jean Exposed

Chapter 10  
Jean Exposed  
  
Kurt and Rogue were walking through the Institute. They had just gotten back from the fight with the Acolytes. Wolverine and Kitty had already gone to their rooms, and Scott and Jean were meeting with the Professor to discuss Firestorm's actions.  
  
"So," Kurt said, "vhat do you think about all this?"  
  
"I dunno... Why would Firestorm do that? Ah mean, we all secretly wish we could blast Jean to kingdom come, but she is our friend. Ah really liked Aidan too."  
  
"I know vhat you mean," Kurt agreed.  
  
Rouge stopped in the middle of the hall, vacant stare on her face. Kurt stopped and waved his hand in front of her.  
  
"Rogue? You all right? Was ist los?"  
  
Rogue snapped out of it. "Nothin', just... Ah got a bit of Jean's thoughts..."  
  
"You still haven't gotten those powers under control?"  
  
"It was a trick."  
  
"Was?"  
  
"Firestorm was lookin' for Pyro. Jean knew it and set her up. It was all a trick. That bitch..."  
  
Kurt stared blankly. "Excuse me?"  
  
"Jean," Rogue replied. "What a bitch! Aidan was just lookin' for someone ta help her with 'er powers and Jean set her up." She balled up her fists and started breathing heavier.  
  
"Calm down, Rogue," Kurt said, trying in vain to be the voice of reason. "Maybe you got some mixed thoughts. You said yourself that you don't have full control of the powers you absorbed."  
  
"Ah know what Ah heard, Kurt."  
  
"Vell, then, vhat are we supposed to do about it? Tell the Professor?"  
  
A light bulb lit over Rogue's head. "Exactly."  
  
She grabbed Kurt's arm and towed him in the direction of Professor X's office.  
  
* * *  
  
"So I says ta the guy, 'Hey! That's no dog! That's a turkey!'"  
  
Aidan laughed. She and Pyro had been at the rock quarry all day. She had bared her past to him and he didn't flinch. He looked past all the angst and in a simple way made everything seem...well...simple. For most of the day, he had concentrated on how to help her love fire. It wasn't easy, but she thought she was getting used to the idea.  
  
"Right then," Pyro said, sitting up, "time for anotha lesson? Remember: fire is your friend."  
  
"Aren't you out of gasoline yet?" Aidan smirked.  
  
"Cripes! I nev'a thought o' that!" He checked the gauges on his flamethrower. Definitely in the red zone. Not good. Pyro frowned. "C'mon, 'ow 'bout spottin' me a light?"  
  
Aidan smiled and mimed flicking a lighter, and a small flame danced on her thumb.  
  
"Now that's what I call a light." Pyro took the flame under his control, and began to twist and manipulate it. He looked at Aidan, ready to tell her to take over, but she wasn't paying attention. She was yawning. He was about to playfully scold her about letting her attention wander when he noticed that the sun was setting. He snuffed the flame and stood up.  
  
"Well, it's about past me bedtime," he said. "Want me ta walk ya home?"  
  
Aidan was about to accept when she remembered Chopper 10. Her using her powers had to be on the news. Which meant that Georgia knew.  
  
"Uh," she replied, "home would not be the best idea at this time."  
  
"Righto," Pyro grabbed her by the arm. "You'll just 'ave to come with me, then. I'm sure me mates won't mind an extra body. 'Ell, they may even enjoy the comp'ny."  
  
"But, what about-"  
  
"Ah, ah. No buts, sheila. You're stayin' with me 'n that's final."  
  
He drug her off in the direction of the 7 Eleven. 


	11. Pyro's At It Once Again

Chapter 11  
Pyro's At It Once Again  
  
(A/N: I shoulda mentioned this before, but the Acolyte base is actually a house. Not a mansion, but a rather large house. After the whole Apocalypse mess, St. John decided to have some fun-God bless him-and burnt the original base to the ground. Well, the flammable bits anyway. The house actually belongs to Remy and Jennie. When St. John no longer had a home, he looked up his old Acolyte bud Remy. Jennie, not knowing Pyro well enough to say 'no', let him move in. Colossus is there just because I'm the author and he's one of my favorite characters. Now, on with the story...)  
  
Lucky for Aidan, while Pyro was towing her around, they passed the wharf. Also lucky for Aidan, her bike was still there. Due to the fact that she had absolutely no idea where she was going, she let Pyro drive.  
  
After about thirty minutes, they arrived at the house. Pyro flung the front door open. "G'day, mates! Guess who I brought home!"  
  
Jennie, still in the Lay-Z-Boy, broccoli still thawing under her butt, didn't even open her eyes. "If it's an X-Man, a reporter, or a Zippo salesman, you will drown in your sleep."  
  
"Well," Pyro thought for a moment, "no. But you're close!" He shoved Aidan through the door. She was greeted by two vacant stares and a chorus of crickets.  
  
"Uh... hi?"  
  
When Aidan spoke, Jennie opened her eyes. "Aidan?"  
  
"Jennie?"  
  
Gambit leaned toward Colossus. "Aidan? Who's Aidan?"  
  
"You're Tsunami?" Aidan asked, confused.  
  
"Yeah... You're Firestorm?" Jennie was also confused.  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
Aidan and Jennie fell into a discussion about how they didn't know who the other was and how sorry they were for trying to kill each other. After a good ten minutes, Gambit decided to interrupt.  
  
"Um... Ladies?"  
  
"What, Remy?" Saying Jennie was slightly annoyed would not have done her justice.  
  
Gambit put his hands up in defense. "Who's Aidan?"  
  
"Are you blind, Remy? This is Aidan."  
  
Aidan turned toward Remy. "You tried to kill me with an Ace of Spades." Aidan's eyes glowed and her palms began to smoke.  
  
"Now, chère, Gambit did'n know who you were 'n-" Remy ducked behind Colossus just as Aidan shot a stream of fire at him.  
  
"She's bloody wonderful, ain't she?" Pyro said to Jennie.  
  
"Oh, THAT Aidan," Remy said, still cowering behind Colossus.  
  
"Could you please not make a habit out of this?" Colossus asked. "I enjoy my personal space."  
  
"Yeah, Remy," Jennie said, "get outta Piotr's ass. You'll be comin' out his nose in a minute."  
  
"Yeah, mate, 'n none of us wanna see that!"  
  
Remy quickly exited Colossus' rear end and sat on the couch.  
  
"Well, then," Pyro said, walking over to Aidan, "why don't you 'ave a seat? Make y'self at home 'n I'll go fix us up some drinks, eh?"  
  
He sat her down on the couch between Gambit and Colossus and bounded merrily into the kitchen.  
  
"So," Colossus said, trying to be polite, "you're pyrokinetic?"  
  
"Yeah," Aidan replied. " 'Fire is my friend.'"  
  
Colossus nodded in understanding.  
  
"Wait a second," Jennie said, "where did John say he was going?"  
  
"To make drinks," Aidan answered.  
  
"Oh, no..." Colossus muttered.  
  
" 'Oh, no'?" Gambit asked. "Why 'oh, no'?"  
  
Jennie's eyes got wider. "The only things we have to drink are orange juice and-"  
  
A loud BOOM rattled the entire house and smoke poured out of the kitchen.  
  
"-vodka," she finished.  
  
"Sorry!" Pyro yelled from the kitchen. "I couldn't 'elp meself!"  
  
* * *  
  
The next day, Aidan decided to get her stuff from her apartment. Moving in with the Acolytes sounded good enough. She did fit in there... plus she was closer to Pyro. Who wouldn't want that? When she got to the apartment building, she found her stuff out back by the Dumpster with a sign that read: 'Mutant Scum!'  
  
She salvaged the things she really needed and headed back to the base. Colossus was supposed to be cooking dinner and Jennie had told her how great a cook he was.  
  
It was Pyro's brilliant idea to move her into Sabe's old room: "Really, blokes! I mean, we 'aven't seen ol' CatMan since... well, since a long time ago. Why can't she jus' 'ave his room?"  
  
While he was helping her move in, he noticed her WVU and DCI CDs.  
  
"What're these?" he asked.  
  
"Marching band CDs," Aidan replied from under the nightstand.  
  
Pyro raised an eyebrow. "An' the folks 'round 'ere say I'M crazy?"  
  
"Hey!" Aidan teased, throwing a battery at him. "Everybody's gotta have at least one weird hobby."  
  
Pyro stuffed a few into his pocket and whistled as he slinked out of the room.  
  
About twenty minutes later, Jennie popped her head into Aidan's room. "Dinner's about done. You all moved in?"  
  
"Yeah," Aidan replied, wiping off her dresser and frowning at the claw marks on the feet. "So, what's for dinner?"  
  
"Stroganoff," Jennie answered, slightly disgusted.  
  
Aidan cocked her head. "I thought you said Piotr was a good cook."  
  
"The greatest," Jennie replied, "but I'm gettin' sick of all this ethnicity. Piotr always cooks stroganoff; John always barbeques shrimp; Remy always tosses on red beans and rice... I just want a pizza, dammit!"  
  
Aidan laughed and they headed for the living room. Halfway down the hall, they heard the West Virginia University fight song.  
  
"What the hell...?" Jennie looked at Aidan and they ran for the living room. When they got there, they found Pyro standing on the coffee table waving a fire baton, while a mini fire marching band paraded around the sofa.  
  
Jennie smacked her forehead in exasperation as Gambit came out of Piotr's room shuffling his cards.  
  
Jennie turned to Aidan. "So exactly what do you see in this human matchstick?"  
  
Aidan smiled and turned her hand palm up. A small fireball appeared.  
  
"I see your point." A small spritz of water squirted out of Jennie's finger and extinguished the tiny blaze in Aidan's hand.  
  
Aidan shook the water from her hand in disgust.  
  
Gambit abandoned his cards and joined in on the conversation. "So, fille," he said to Aidan, "you sizzle when you shower?"  
  
A blast of fire barely missed his head.  
  
"Watch where you're pointin' dat t'ing, girl! Gambit jus' bought dese cards!"  
  
Jennie rubbed her temples with her thumb and forefinger. "Just ignore him; he's an idiot..."  
  
"Well, you're the one dating him," Aidan stated.  
  
"On the surface, yes." Jennie's eyes twinkled mischeiviously. "But I'm secretly dating Colossus."  
  
Piotr, clad in a chef's hat, flowered apron, and matching oven mitts, stepped into the kitchen archway. "What? Don't you dare bring me into this!"  
  
Jennie smiled sweetly. "Sorry, sweetie!"  
  
Colossus rolled his eyes and continued with the cooking.  
  
Aidan turned her head and watched Colossus leave. "Well, you're right on one point: tall, dark, and Russian isn't that bad to look at."  
  
"I heard that," Piotr's voice floated out of the kitchen.  
  
The girls giggled.  
  
Pyro continued conducting his mini-band.  
  
Gambit rolled his eyes and walked to his room. "Jus' yell when dinner's done..."  
  
* * *  
  
A week after Aidan moved in with the Acolytes, she and Gambit were on the couch watching Johnny Bravo.  
  
"Where did Jennie and Piotr go?" Aidan asked.  
  
"Store," Gambit replied, not taking his attention from the TV.  
  
"Wow, you're being talkative today. What can I do to shut you up?" she muttered sarcastically as she propped her elbow on the arm of the couch.  
  
Suddenly a loud crash emanated from the kitchen, causing Gambit and Aidan to jump. Gambit was annoyed; Aidan was amused.  
  
"St. John!" he yelled. "What're you doin'?!"  
  
"I LOVE THE FISHES CUZ THEY'RE SO DELICIOUS!!!"  
  
Aidan giggled and yelled, "Smile! You've got French's!"  
  
Gambit looked at Aidan and raised an eyebrow. "Don' encourage 'im, chère."  
  
Aidan's giggling erupted into laughter as St. John bounced out of the kitchen in his underwear holding a box of Goldfish. Aidan's laughter brought tears to her eyes when she read what was written on his boxers: "Why are you reading my underwear?"  
  
Gambit also read the underwear and began muttering to himself in French.  
  
"Why are you eating Goldfish?" Aidan asked, trying to hold back the laughter.  
  
Pyro shrugged and leaped over the back of the sofa, almost landing in Gambit's lap. Gambit scooted away as St. John made himself comfortable. "Dunno. It was the only thing in the kitchen besides bakin' soda 'n month old gumbo."  
  
"But Jennie and Piotr went shopping for food," Aidan replied, sneaking a few of the cheesy critters from the box.  
  
"But what're we gonna eat? Stroganoff? Borscht? I've 'ad enough o' that Russian stuff. Goldfish seemed reasonable," Pyro rationalized.  
  
"Well, at least'e did'n' try ta light 'em up," Gambit muttered.  
  
"Naw," Pyro said, "y'can't light fish on fire! They're all wet!"  
  
Gambit closed his eyes and shook his head.  
  
St. John tossed a Goldfish in the air and caught it in his mouth.  
  
Aidan, being an instigator, smirked evilly. "Sure you can."  
  
When St. John tossed the next cracker in the air, Aidan set it on fire. John, not having control of the flaming fish, jumped out of the way shrieking. The fish landed on the couch and the cushion erupted in flame.  
  
Gambit leaped out of the way with a very obscene French word or seven on his lips.  
  
After St. John recovered from his slight shock, he joined Aidan in her uproarious laughter.  
  
"Ha, ha," Gambit said, "y'firebugs are real funny."  
  
Jennie and Piotr came through the door. Jennie dropped her bags and held her hand, palm up, in front of Piotr. "Something's on fire. Pay up."  
  
Piotr rolled his eyes, reached into his pocket, and pulled out a bill.  
  
Jennie opened it. "I don't think so, comrade. American currency, not rubles."  
  
"Damn." Piotr dug into his wallet and pulled out a twenty.  
  
Jennie examined it and stuffed it in her coat. "That's better."  
  
John and Aidan were still laughing at the burning couch and Gambit decided to get up from behind the Lay-Z-Boy and search for a fire extinguisher.  
  
Piotr noticed the Goldfish crackers strewn across the floor. "I'm not cleaning it up," he mumbled as he helped Jennie carry the groceries into the kitchen.  
  
"What's for dinner, Jennie?" Aidan asked, through the laughter.  
  
"You'll find out."  
  
Pyro pulled on Aidan's sleeve and pointed to Gambit, who was armed with a fire extinguisher. Aidan quickly pulled the fire away from the couch and divvied it up between herself and Pyro.  
  
Gambit dropped the fire extinguisher, watched Aidan and Pyro play with the fire like 4-year-old girls played with Barbie dolls, and then stared at the charred sofa. "Gambit give up..."  
  
* * *  
  
About an hour later, Gambit, Jennie, Piotr, Pyro, and Aidan were sitting at the table. Jennie, finally getting her chance to cook, decided on the all- American meal: hotdogs, hamburgers, and fries.  
  
She placed the plate of burgers and hotdogs in the center of the table. "Ta da! Hotdogs and hamburgers ala Jennie! The ALL-AMERICAN MEAL! Do you hear me, Remy, Piotr, St. John? AAALLLLLL AMERICAN!!" Jennie said very dramatically, pointing to each Acolyte as she said his name.  
  
Aidan cleared her throat. "Well, um, the burgers and frankfurters are kinda, um... German..."  
  
"SHUT UP!! Nobody needs to know that! All...American," Jennie said, sitting down. "Now, dig in, everybody."  
  
Piotr turned to Aidan, "Sometimes, she scares me."  
  
Aidan nodded in understanding and took a bite out of her burger.  
  
After a few minutes of quiet chewing, Piotr held up his half eaten frank. "Hotdog? Why is it called that?"  
  
Aidan mysteriously wiggled her fingers. "No one really knows..."  
  
Piotr turned a slight shade of green. "Oh, goodness..."  
  
"Nah," Gambit said, "it's not really made from dog."  
  
"Then why call it hotdog?" Piotr asked, slightly disturbed.  
  
"Because it's served warm and shaped like a Dachshund!" St. John cheerfully explained.  
  
Upon hearing that, Piotr grabbed his throat and began to choke.  
  
St. John jumped out of his seat and put his arms around Piotr's waist. "Here, mate! Lemme Heimlich ya!"  
  
Piotr abruptly stopped choking and pushed St. John away. "Don't even think about it."  
  
St. John returned to his seat muttering something about 'cruddy American food'. 


	12. Pop the Question Already!

Kage-robot-of-darkness: Piotr choked because St. John's comment was unexpected, and he still thought that hotdogs were really made of dog. I mean, how many times does a known thief tell the truth? P.S. thanx 4 the reviews!  
  
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%  
  
Chapter 12  
Pop the Question Already!  
  
After dinner, Gambit, Piotr, and St. John were on the couch watching TV. Well, they weren't really watching TV, because St. John had control of the new remote and was channel surfing. Gambit and Piotr sat and quietly plotted how to get the remote.  
  
* * *  
  
Aidan and Jennie were in Jennie's room doing girlie things like painting their toenails and putting their hair up in hot curlers.  
  
"Why are we doing this?" Aidan asked.  
  
"Because we can," Jennie replied. "Plus, I don't think Colossus would willingly let us paint HIS toes red, do you?"  
  
Aidan snickered. "I suppose not... But John probably would."  
  
Jennie smirked and muttered, "Yeah, he'd do anything for you."  
  
Aidan looked confused. "Huh?"  
  
"What? Don't you like him?"  
  
"Of course I do!" Aidan crossed her legs on the bed. "But what does that have to do with him doing things for me?"  
  
"He likes you too, y'know." Jennie sat down behind Aidan and began putting the curlers in her hair.  
  
"Yeah, so?"  
  
"So... what're you two gonna do about it?"  
  
"What d'you mean? We're living together, aren't we?"  
  
"Well, so are Piotr and I, but that doesn't mean there's anything happenin' there. Too bad, though. Russian and Cajun are a pretty lively mixture, eh?"  
  
Aidan giggled. "Well, what do you want me to do? Ask him on a date or something? I'm sure that'll go over well. Two pyromaniacs share a romantic CANDLELIT dinner. Details at eleven. We'll be on the news again."  
  
"Nobody said the dinner had to be candlelit."  
  
"What other kinds of first date dinners are there? He's not takin' me to a McDonald's."  
  
"Want me to drop some hints? Huh, huh, huh? Maybe he'll ask you." Aidan caught Jennie's smirk out of the corner of her eye. It revealed a little bit of evil mixed with mischief.  
  
"No!" Aidan smacked Jennie's hand away from her hair and turned to face her. "I know that smirk. You did that before Gambit sent that fleet of cards at me at the wharf. We all know how well that turned out."  
  
"Oh, come on! I'll behave myself! I promise. Subtle hints, Aidan. Subtle..."  
  
"Subtle?"  
  
Jennie nodded.  
  
"Subtle like: 'Hey, John! Aidan wants to go on a date! Ask her now!!!'?"  
  
"So you DO wanna go on a date!"  
  
"That's not what I said."  
  
"Then what did you say?" Jennie leaned closer, hoping to pull off the annoying stare that always got her way.  
  
"I said... nothing... Just roll my hair and shut up."  
  
* * *  
  
St. John passed channel 18 for the twentieth time. Gambit looked at Piotr and Piotr nodded.  
  
"Hey, Pyro! Fire!" Gambit yelled and pointed to the wall behind St. John.  
  
"Where?!" Pyro yelled excitedly, dropping the remote.  
  
Colossus leaned over the arm of the Lay-Z-Boy, grabbed the remote and hid it behind his back.  
  
Pyro turned around and looked for the lost remote. "Hey, you blokes. That wasn't funny. Now where's that blasted remote?"  
  
Gambit decided it was time to take John's mind off of the TV for a while. "So, mon ami, what's up wit you 'n dat femme fire starter?"  
  
Happy-go-lucky Pyro suddenly became defensive. "Nothin's up, mate. Jus' the usual. She starts a fire, we play with it, you kill it."  
  
"Come now, comrade," Colossus interjected, "you cannot say that you do not have feelings for the young lady."  
  
" 'Course I do, mate! Who wouldn't? She's the greatest. A Fire Goddess. I've said it before, y'know."  
  
"We know," Gambit said, "but you haven't said anyt'in' about HER. Jus' that she creates fire... An' we all know that you love fire."  
  
"More than anythin'," Pyro replied, trying to regain some dignity after his last outburst.  
  
"Anything?" Colossus questioned.  
  
"Well... emm..."  
  
"We thought so," Colossus replied.  
  
"So what if I like 'er?" Pyro asked, abandoning dignity. "Can't a guy like a sheila? Is it a crime or somethin'?"  
  
" 'Course not," Gambit said. "If dat was a crime, Gambit be locked up fa life!"  
  
"Why not ask her to dinner?" Colossus suggested.  
  
Pyro slumped in the couch. "She'll say no."  
  
"Why's 'at?" Gambit asked.  
  
"She doesn't like me, mate. She just puts up with me."  
  
"You do not know that," Colossus said, feeling sorry for the un-insane part of Pyro.  
  
"Yeah, I do."  
  
"Prove it," Gambit ordered. "Ask 'er out. If da fille says 'no', den we'll quit botherin' ya."  
  
"But, I- I dunno- How d'ya ask a sheila out? I've nev'a done it before."  
  
Gambit stood up from his spot on the floor. "Come wit' Gambit." He put his arm around Pyro and led him to his room. "He'll give ya some advice you'll neva fahget."  
  
Colossus stood up and followed them. Poor John would need all the help he could get.  
  
* * *  
  
Pyro sat in Gambit's swivel desk chair, Gambit was perched at the foot of the bed, and Piotr stood in the doorway in metal form.  
  
"Emm, exactly what're y'gonna teach me?" Pyro asked, slightly apprehensive.  
  
"Well, for starters, quit stammerin'," Gambit replied. "Dat definitely doesn't sound confident."  
  
"But, emm, I- I'm not confident."  
  
"Dat's not da point. Jus' SOUND confident. You could be anticipatin' ta get ya ass knocked in da mud, but jus' sound like ya know what you're talkin' 'bout."  
  
"But do not forget," Colossus warned, "too much confidence could become arrogance. Not all women like a lot of arrogance. Some prefer men who are soft-spoken."  
  
"Okay," Pyro said, as he stared at the ceiling looking as though he was memorizing calculus equations. "Confident, not arrogant... soft-spoken..."  
  
"Den, what'cha gotta do is be romantic. All da gals like romance. Y'know, a guy that'll sweep 'em off their feet."  
  
"Remy is right. But do not overdo the romance. You do not want to be tacky."  
  
"Romantic, not tacky... confident, not arrogant..."  
  
"An' don' fahget," Remy warned, "da fille is number one. Please her. Do what she wants ta do."  
  
"Good point," Colossus said.  
  
"Please the sheila... confident, not tacky; romantic, not arrogant... I'm nev'a gonna get it!" St. John threw his hands up in despair.  
  
"Calm down, mon ami, you'll get it. Be cool... suave... calm..."  
  
"Breathe," Colossus said, noticing Pyro's slightly purple face.  
  
Pyro exhaled dramatically and slumped in the chair. "All this thinkin' 'urts me brain," he muttered.  
  
"Try not ta t'ink," Gambit instructed. "Jus' do what comes natural."  
  
"Yeah," Pyro said, "but that's set stuff on fire!"  
  
"Remy, maybe you should help him with his posture. It will get him to stop thinking for a while," Colossus suggested. Actually, Piotr needed a good laugh and thought that this would be the ticket.  
  
"Good idea. Now," Gambit said standing up, "stand up."  
  
Pyro obeyed.  
  
Gambit gave Pyro a quick overlook. They boy was tracing something in the carpet with his right foot, his arms were swinging haphazardly at his sides, his shoulders were hunched, and his head was down. Gambit leaned toward Colossus and hid his mouth with his hand. "Dis gonna be harder than Gambit thought."  
  
Colossus raised an eyebrow and nodded slowly.  
  
Gambit clapped his hands and Pyro snapped to attention. "Dat's betta," Gambit muttered. "Now, keep ya head up. Don' droop. Droopin' ain't how ta get a lady ta like ya. Dis is where da confidence comes in."  
  
Pyro's fingers began to nervously twitch. Gambit noticed. "Don' do that."  
  
Pyro immediately stuffed his hands into his hoodie pocket. "Dere ya go. But don' keep 'em in dere too long. Don' wanna be all sweaty when ya hold 'er hand, no?"  
  
Pyro's eyes widened. "Hand holding? What d'ya mean hand holding?"  
  
"What?" Gambit smirked. "Ya t'ink goin' on a date don' involve touchin'?"  
  
"No, not that, but... hand holding?"  
  
Piotr smirked inwardly. Poor John was really nervous. Time for some words of wisdom. "Now, John, do not get all worked up. What happened the day you took her from the Car Yard?"  
  
"We hung out at the rock quarry," he responded. "Talked 'n played with fire."  
  
"Were you nervous then?"  
  
"No..."  
  
"There you go, then. Just think of the date like you are hanging out. Be yourself... just do not burn anything."  
  
"That simple, eh?" Pyro asked sarcastically.  
  
"Listen ta the Tin-Man," Gambit said. "He's right. Don' be nervous, be y'self."  
  
Pyro sank back into the chair, praying to any and all Gods that he wouldn't mess this up.  
  
* * *  
  
Aidan took the last hot roller out of her hair and Jennie checked her toes.  
  
"So, are you gonna ask him or not?" Jennie asked.  
  
"I don't know, all right?" Aidan snapped, running her fingers through her hair. "Just lemme think about it."  
  
"Don't take too long, though. He may get the idea you don't like him," Jennie teased. She stood up and walked to the door.  
  
"Where are you going?" Aidan asked.  
  
"Cucumbers for the face packs," Jennie replied and walked into the hall.  
  
They boys weren't in the living room anymore, and the TV wasn't on. Good God, did Magneto come after them? The TV was never off. She then heard voices in Gambit's room. She walked up to the door and knocked.  
  
"OW!!"  
  
Piotr turned around and quickly de-metaled himself. "Sorry, Jennie. I forgot."  
  
Pyro stuck his head around Piotr's arm. "Crickey! It's Medusa!"  
  
"Ha, ha, John," Jennie muttered.  
  
"Hey! Dat's Gambit's femme you're talkin' 'bout, Aussie-boy!" Gambit's voice floated out of the room. He stepped around Piotr, prepared to give Jennie a hug. "Hey, chère, how- eeg!"  
  
"You're funnier than John, Remy. Really a riot," Jennie said dryly.  
  
"Sorry, chère, but ya gotta warn us when ya show up like 'at." He gave her a hug.  
  
"Cute..." Her eyes flickered. "So what were you boys talking about?"  
  
"Nothing," all three said in unison.  
  
Jennie put her hands on her hips. "Now, I know something's up. What's going on?"  
  
"Nothing," they replied.  
  
"Fine," Jennie said, "I'm gonna go get my cucumbers."  
  
"Food?" St. John's spirits perked up for a split second before Gambit stomped on his instep and innocently smiled as Jennie left for the kitchen.  
  
* * *  
  
Aidan and Jennie had their faces covered with cold cream and were eating the cucumber slices.  
  
"It took you a while to get that cucumber," Aidan stated.  
  
"No, it didn't."  
  
"What did you tell him?" Aidan asked, slightly scared.  
  
Jennie held up her right hand. "Nothing. I swear."  
  
"I don't believe you."  
  
"I swear, Aidan. I went to get the veggie and saw that the boys were having a slumber party in Remy's room. I asked what they were doing and they wouldn't tell me. Of course, this is after St. John yelled out that I was Medusa..."  
  
"Okay, then," Aidan said, still a little leery. "I'm gonna go chip the mud off my face."  
  
She stood up and went to the bathroom. Jennie lay back on her bed and popped another slice of cucumber in her mouth.  
  
Suddenly, St. John stepped into the doorway. "Hey, is- aaahhhh!"  
  
"Knock it off, John," Jennie said, irritated.  
  
"Crickey, sheila! What'd ya do to y'face?"  
  
"It's beauty cream, you moron."  
  
"Well, y'better take it off then, 'cuz it ain't workin'."  
  
Jennie threw her alarm clock at him. He ducked, clock scraping his back. "Chill out! I'm jus' lookin' for Aidan."  
  
"She's in the bathroom."  
  
"Y'know when she'll be back?"  
  
"Sorry, John, I'm not God. Try again later." This time, she threw her lampshade and it hit him in the head.  
  
"All right! I'm goin'!"  
  
John closed the door behind him and bumped into Aidan.  
  
"Hey, John," she said.  
  
"Uh...hey, sheila. What's new?"  
  
"Not much that you don't already know about. You live here too, y'know."  
  
"Oh... right..." John looked over Aidan's shoulder and saw Remy and Piotr in Remy's doorway. Remy was mouthing the words 'well, go on already', and Piotr looked like he was ready to slap the Cajun.  
  
"Emm, well, I, uh, I was jus' wonderin' if..."  
  
"He's stammerin'," Remy whispered to Piotr.  
  
"Hush," Piotr whispered back.  
  
"... i-if you would like to, uh, goonadatewithme??"  
  
Aidan looked confused. "Excuse me?"  
  
"I thought so," St. John muttered and sulked into Remy's room.  
  
Aidan watched him walk away and wondered how many times he was dropped on his head as a child. She went back to Jennie's room.  
  
* * *  
  
"What da hell's da matter wit you?!" Remy yelled.  
  
"Now, comrade, I do not think that yelling is such-"  
  
"Shut up!" Remy yelled. "Why'd ya stammer? Stammerin's not confident. You must be confident."  
  
"But I told ya she did'n' wanna go out with me, mate. She jus' proved me point." He spun desolately on the swivel chair.  
  
"She did not prove your point," Piotr said. "You proved your point."  
  
"Eh?" Remy and St. John were both confused.  
  
"You spoke so fast, Pietro would be jealous," Piotr explained. "She did not understand you."  
  
"Hell, WE barely understood ya," Remy muttered, " 'n we knew what you were sayin'."  
  
"Ask her again, and speak slower this time," Piotr said while pushing St. John out the door.  
  
The door shut in his face. "Bugger," he muttered.  
  
"What was that?"  
  
"Aahh!" St. John yelped and spun around. It was Aidan. Oh dear God... "Em, nothin', sheila, jus'..."  
  
"Were you trying to ask me out on a date?" Aidan asked.  
  
Oh Lord, was she telepathic too? What was he gonna do? "Well, y-no, um, ye-maybe, uh... yes I was."  
  
Aidan smiled.  
  
Was smiling good? He always smiled when he was happy. But when he was happy, other people were mad... usually because their stuff was on fire. But that wasn't the point. He asked her out and she was smiling. So was it good or bad?  
  
"So...?" St. John asked, hoping he didn't sound like an idiot.  
  
"Don't say 'so...'" Aidan said, "you sound like and idiot."  
  
St. John felt his heart tear into teeny, tiny, little, irreparable pieces.  
  
"Where are you taking me, and what time are you picking me up?" Aidan asked and kissed his cheek.  
  
Did he say irreparable? Maybe with a few paperclips and some duct tape... He watched Aidan walk to her room. When she was out of sight, he whipped out his lighter, made a basketball and net, and took a shot. "He shoots; he SCORES!!" 


	13. How To Be A Man

Chapter 13  
How To Be A Man  
  
Aidan closed her door, spun in a circle, and flopped onto her bed. She and St. John were going on a date. She was so excited. She wondered where they would go, what they would do... what she would wear! Dear God, she had forgotten how stressful a first date could be. She was eighteen and had only been on one true date in her life. Plus she was only fifteen at the time.  
  
~Flashback~  
  
It was about two days before she stowed away for America. His name was Alan. They went skiing. After some hot cocoa at the lodge, he took her to a black diamond trail, even though she had never skied before in her life. As they were traversing the terrain, an avalanche rained upon them. They were quickly buried, holding each other's hand. Aidan knew she could save them. If she could just get her powers to cooperate... She began to sizzle as the snow melted around her. They were under at least six feet of snow, but it melted in under five minutes due to the extreme heat. As she pulled Alan out of the hole, he looked at her as if she was an insect.  
  
"How did you do that?" he asked in disbelief.  
  
"I- I can make fire," Aidan replied. "I don't know how, but I just do."  
  
Alan yanked his hand out of hers and began walking down the slope.  
  
"Alan! Wait for me!" she yelled.  
  
"No!" he yelled, turning toward her. "You're a mutant. Mutants aren't human... just disgusting freaks of nature."  
  
"But I saved your life! We could have died!"  
  
"You saved YOUR life. You had to save me too or people would have gotten suspicious." He turned from her and continued down the hillside.  
  
~End Flashback~  
  
Life sucked. That was why she had traveled to America. Alan... what a bastard.  
  
* * *  
  
St. John entered Remy's room with a giant grin plastered to his face.  
  
"So, comrade, you have succeeded?" Piotr asked with a small smirk.  
  
"Yeppers," St. John said, grin not moving.  
  
"So, mon ami, where ya gon'a take 'er?"  
  
The grin disappeared. "I, uh, I dunno."  
  
"What'dya mean ya don' know?" Remy asked after taking a puff of his cigarette.  
  
"I 'aven't given it much thought, mate. I mean, I jus' got the date, y'know."  
  
Remy rolled his eyes. This kid was definitely lacking in the romance department. He was also lacking in the charisma, confidence, and sex appeal departments too. At least he had a cool accent. That gave Remy something to work with.  
  
"Why not take 'er to a fancy restaurant? Dress up a bit. Put on some cologne."  
  
"Fancy?" St. John's face turned white. "Sorry, mate, but the fanciest restaurant I've ev'a been to was an Outback Steakhouse. Fancy ain't really me strongpoint."  
  
"We know," Remy and Piotr said in unison.  
  
"But don' worry," Remy reassured, "dat's why Remy 'n da Big Man're here. We'll have ya fancy in no time."  
  
"Can't this wait 'til mornin'?" St. John asked. "I'm kinda tired 'n wanna hit the sack. It's not like we're goin' out tomorrah."  
  
"Fine," Remy said. "But bright 'n early tomorrow, you're gettin' ya first lesson in how ta be a gentleman."  
  
* * *  
  
St. John sat on his bed and pulled out his Zippo. He flicked it on and off as he thought.  
  
Fancy. Why the bleedin' hell did it have to be fancy? Normal people went to the movies on dates, right? No dressing up or fancy cologne required. A pair of jeans, a ribbed shirt, and a spritz of Curve. That was all. No sport coat, no loafers, no excessive hair gel, no Stetson, and NO tie.  
  
He wondered where Remy would make him take her. Some fancy black tie French place, no doubt. Damn dress clothes. Damn fancy...  
  
What about Piotr? What role would he play in this? Remy's personal assistant, probably. More accurately, he would be the one holding St. John down while Remy tried to slick his hair back. Grrrr... fancy...  
  
St. John laid back on the bed and stared at his ceiling. What had he gotten himself into? He wasn't mature enough to be left at home alone for more than five minutes. What gave Remy the idea that he was mature enough for a date? He did like her though. He liked her a lot...  
  
He made a small fire figurine of Aidan. The figurine 'created' its own fire figurines. Soon, St. John was surrounded by five Aidan figurines and a zoo of tiny fire animals. He quit concentrating on all the elementals except the original. Damn, he liked her...  
  
Okay, so maybe he wasn't mature enough to not burn the house down, but he was mature enough to go on a date. Aidan was still afraid to overuse her powers, so he would have a chaperone of sorts. She wouldn't let him mess this up. At least, he hoped she wouldn't.  
  
Man... life sucked.  
  
* * *  
  
Black.  
  
Everything was black.  
  
Black and hot.  
  
She felt like she was falling. Falling into the blackness, into the heat.  
  
She awoke suddenly and the comforter was on fire. Aidan rolled her eyes. This was new. Her eyes changed to the glowing red on black, and the fire blew itself out.  
  
Maybe it was stress. With everything that had happened to her in the last month, she wouldn't have been surprised. Yeah. It had to be stress. Amazingly though, she hadn't had a nightmare in over a week. Ever since she met St. John she gained some freedom with the use of her powers. It took more than lighting a candle to give her a nightmare. It seemed that if she didn't overuse her powers, she was okay. Which meant anything more than setting the couch on fire would probably bring the nightmares back. She suppressed a snicker. Maybe hanging out with Pyro was good for her health.  
  
She tossed the burnt comforter onto the floor and pulled an afghan down from the headboard. Something was weird. She never set fires in her sleep before. She always had to concentrate hard to do something like that. This wasn't a good sign.  
  
She rolled over and fell into a tossing, turning, restless sleep.  
  
* * *  
  
Black.  
  
Everything was black.  
  
"G'mornin', sunshine!"  
  
St. John opened his eyes. "Wha...?"  
  
"It's time for ya man lessons," Remy said, holding a large bucket.  
  
St. John looked at his clock. 5:45. Oh, hell no... "What'n the blue blazes you think you blokes're doin'?" he muttered, stuffing his head under his pillow. "Go away. Come get me when the sun comes up."  
  
Piotr looked at Remy and Remy smiled. Piotr grabbed St. John's blanket and tugged it away as Remy tossed the contents of the bucket-which, this fine morning, happened to be ice water-onto the sleeping Pyro.  
  
St. John was out of bed faster than a speeding bullet. "CRICKEY! What the hell y'doin' ta me, mate?!"  
  
"Makin' sure you're ready ta go," Remy smirked.  
  
St. John stood, dripping wet and very cold, beside his bed. "I bloody hate you," he muttered as he stalked over to his dresser. He pulled out a pair of flannel pants and a hoodie.  
  
"I do not think so, comrade," Piotr said, snatching the garments from St. John's grasp.  
  
"Well, then, what'm I s'posed ta wear, eh?" He angrily crossed his arms over his chest. "A silk robe, perhaps?"  
  
Piotr smirked, and Remy held up a blue silk robe.  
  
St. John's eyes grew wide with sheer terror. "No..." he muttered, backing into the wall, "NO!"  
  
* * *  
  
Jennie and Aidan were in the kitchen making Belgian waffles.  
  
"That's it," Jennie said. "Enough ethnicity. No more Russian, Cajun, Australian, German, or Belgian foods! Tomorrow we're having corn flakes. All day."  
  
Aidan giggled. "Oh, come on. It can't be that bad. We'll just have a smorgasboard from around the world. I'll make grape leaves and baklava for dinner."  
  
Jennie shook her head trying not to laugh. "Greek? I though you said you were from New Zealand."  
  
"Nope. Born in New Jersey. No ethnicity there."  
  
Both girls laughed.  
  
Suddenly, St. John ran into the kitchen wearing a blue silk robe. His hair was wet and his face was pale. He turned toward the living room and yelled, "Manicures are for sheilas!!"  
  
Remy stepped into the kitchen archway. "Naw, mon ami, don' ya watch 'Queer Eye'? Real men get manicures!"  
  
St. John ran for the backdoor with Remy hot on his heels brandishing a bottle of Jennie's clear finish speed dry nail polish.  
  
Piotr stepped into the archway and muttered, "Sometimes, they worry me..."  
  
"Do we wanna know what's going on?" Jennie asked.  
  
"That was a stupid question," Piotr replied.  
  
"I thought so," Jennie said and continued helping Aidan with the waffle batter.  
  
St. John ran past the kitchen window and Remy was a few steps behind yelling, "Come back, 'ere an' be a REAL MAN!"  
  
"You're crazy!!" St. John yelled over his shoulder.  
  
"Shouldn't we make them come in?" Aidan asked, genuinely concerned. "John'll freeze out there. I imagine he's not wearing a whole hell of a lot under that robe."  
  
"Don't worry about what John's not wearing," Jennie said. "It's only the beginning of November; the coldest it could be out there is forty-seven degrees."  
  
Aidan poured the batter into the waffle iron and Piotr sat at his seat at the table.  
  
He took a sip of the already poured orange juice. "Who is cooking dinner tonight?"  
  
"Is that all you think about?" Jennie asked. "If it's not cooking, it's cleaning. Take a chill pill. Aidan's makin' grape leaves."  
  
Aidan elbowed Jennie. "I wasn't bein' serious."  
  
John, robe hanging off of his right shoulder, ran up to the window and pushed it open. "Em, Aidan, could ya gimme a hand? I seemed to 'ave left me lighter in me other girlie robe."  
  
Aidan tossed him a small fireball.  
  
He fell out of the window and cackled as the fireball grew. "Take that, Queer Eye Cajun!! MUWAHAHAHAHA!"  
  
* * *  
  
About five hours later, Remy gave up on the manicure, St. John got his hoodie and flannels back, and Piotr lost interest in the whole ordeal.  
  
Aidan, Jennie, and Piotr sat on the couch.  
  
Piotr looked at Aidan. "So have you two decided where you are going on your date?"  
  
"Not yet," Aidan answered. "The last time I talked to him, he caught Remy on fire. Haven't seen him since."  
  
"You do know that you will probably be going to a fancy restaurant."  
  
"I know. But fancy's not really my thing. And besides, I already told Jennie: candlelight and pyromania don't mix well."  
  
"Do not worry," Piotr said. "You will figure something out."  
  
Jennie pointed to the archway by her room and Remy's room. St. John stood there in a red silk shirt, slightly unbuttoned, black sports coat and slacks, his hair sleek and sophisticated.  
  
Everyone's jaws dropped.  
  
"Wow..." Jennie muttered.  
  
Remy stepped into view next to St. John. "So, what d'y'all t'ink?"  
  
"Wow..." Jennie muttered again.  
  
"Okay, we get it," Aidan said, jealously whacking Jennie's arm. "You're starting to drool."  
  
"Go on, boy," Remy said, giving St. John a gentle shove. "Spin for da crowd."  
  
St. John slowly walked to the middle of the living room, feeling more than overly insecure, and completed a very pathetic attempt at a runway turn.  
  
Remy rolled his eyes. He looked the part, but was still lacking in confidence. Oh, well... Guess that would just have to come naturally.  
  
"He looks good, Remy," Jennie applauded. "How did you do it?"  
  
"Cajun magic, belle, Cajun magic."  
  
* * *  
  
Aidan tossed and turned.  
  
She was walking through the meadow from her nightmares. Only there was no little girl; there was just Aidan. She continued walking until she came upon her old cottage. It was still standing. Smoke wasn't even coming out of the chimney. She opened the front door and stepped into the living room. No one was there. "Mom?" she called. The only answer was the echoing of her voice. She walked into the kitchen. A woman with brown hair stood by the stove. She wore a white sundress and a pink apron. "Mom?" Aidan asked, stepping closer to the woman, "why won't you answer me?" The woman turned around, revealing her badly burned face and arms and Aidan's glowing red on black eyes. Aidan screamed. "You did this to me!" the woman accused, advancing toward Aidan. "No!" Aidan yelled, "it wasn't my fault! I couldn't help it!" Flames shot from the range of the stove behind the woman. "No, Aidan, it WAS your fault. If you and your father hadn't left me, I would still be alive!" The sink, countertop, and refrigerator erupted into flames. "We tried, momma, but they wouldn't let us!" Aidan cried. "Lies!" the woman yelled. "For your lies you will pay!" Aidan screamed as the walls of the now fully engulfed house fell down around her and the heat intensified. Out of the woodwork, tiny fire demons emerged. They ran after Aidan, jumping onto her back, shoulders, and head. She screamed, her eyes changed, and a wave of fire spread around her in all directions, destroying the demons. She was surrounded by a wall of fire that she couldn't control. Her eyes returned to normal as the wall spread farther and farther away from her. The woman laughed evilly; it seemed to come from everywhere at once. "Poor, Aidan," she taunted, "what good is being able to create fire if you can't control it? So much power... Power that destroyed me. It will destroy you too, Aidan." A life-size fire elemental of St. John appeared in front of Aidan. "It will destroy you and the ones you love..." Aidan's eyes glowed furiously. "No, momma... It won't destroy me. YOU will destroy me! You and the constant guilt you place on me! It wasn't my fault! I can't help what I am! But I can move on. Goodbye, momma..." Aidan screamed and a blast of fire erupted from her chest. A blast so powerful it knocked her off her feet. Then there was blackness...  
  
* * *  
  
St. John was on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He felt like such a moron. How could he get confident when Remy made him feel so unconfident. If he could just take Aidan to the movies or mini-golfing he wouldn't be so nervous. He was out of his element in any restaurant where the bathrooms cost more than the house he lived in.  
  
Suddenly, a scream came from Aidan's room. As he was racing to her aid, he got tangled in his bed sheets and fell to the floor.  
  
She screamed again and he scrambled to his feet. He reached her bedroom door at the same time as Jennie, Remy, and Piotr.  
  
"What's goin' on?" Remy asked.  
  
John threw the door open and a blast of heat came out.  
  
"That's not a good sign," Jennie said and turned to Piotr. "You go first."  
  
Piotr's metal exoskeleton appeared and he stepped into the room. It wasn't on fire...yet. It felt warm enough that it could ignite at any second. He saw Aidan on the bed. She was still asleep. He exited the room and looked at St. John. "I believe this is your territory. She is asleep and the room could combust at any moment."  
  
St. John looked into the room and gulped. Ordinarily he would have been tickled to have the room explode into flames, but Aidan was in there. He had to wake her up and get her out. He stepped into the room and immediately began to sweat. He walked over to her bed and touched her. He yelped in pain and yanked his hand back. God, she was hot! But she wasn't sweaty. Weird. He grabbed a throw pillow from the floor and gently hit her shoulder. She tossed and turned and the room grew a few degrees warmer, but she didn't wake up. He beat her repeatedly about the head, neck, and shoulder area, and suddenly, the bed burst into flame. Maybe he shouldn't have done that...  
  
"John!!" Jennie yelled. "What the hell's goin' on in there?!?!"  
  
John didn't answer. He was too busy trying to gain control of the furniture fire. Amazingly, he did get it away from Aidan. Forget the fact that it took out the nightstand and dresser, but at least the bed wasn't on fire anymore. He looked at Aidan; she wasn't even singed. Amazing...  
  
Suddenly, Aidan sat up straight and screamed. Pyro ducked as a stream of fire blasted out of Aidan's chest.  
  
Suddenly, a spray of water extinguished the burning room. Pyro peeked over the side of the bed as Tsunami, Gambit, and Colossus entered the room.  
  
Aidan was dripping wet, but otherwise unharmed. Too bad the same thing couldn't have been said for the room.  
  
"Aidan, what is wrong?" Colossus asked.  
  
Aidan looked at Colossus, then Gambit, the Tsunami, then Pyro and burst into tears.  
  
"Mon Dieu, Gambit can't handle cryin' women. C'mon, chère," he said, grabbing Tsunami's arm, "let's let Pyro handle dis one."  
  
Gambit dragged Tsunami, who in turn dragged Colossus, out of the room.  
  
Pyro sat on the edge of what was left of the bed and Aidan began crying into his chest. He hugged her and rocked her. "There, there, sheila. Tell me what's wrong."  
  
* * *  
  
Remy, Jennie, and Piotr were on the couch sipping hot cocoa with marshmallows when St. John entered the living room.  
  
"So..." Jennie said, sucking the froth off of a jumbo Jet-Puffed marshmallow, "how did it go?"  
  
"Poor sheila's shook up somethin' awful. Had a nightmare, she did."  
  
"A nightmare?" Jennie asked incredulously. "Hell, she 'bout burned the house down!"  
  
"It's a long story..." St. John said, swiping one of Remy's marshmallows.  
  
Jennie opened her mouth to say something, but decided against it and popped another marshmallow in.  
  
"We're goin' out tomorrah night," St. John announced. "I said she needed t'get 'er mind offa what was botherin' 'er."  
  
"Good idea," Jennie said.  
  
"Is she asleep now?" Piotr asked.  
  
"Yeah. She's in my room. Seein' as 'ow 'er room is, well, gone." He sat down next to Jennie. "Did y'make me any cocoa?" he asked hopefully.  
  
"There's a mug for you in the kitchen."  
  
"Righto... Well, I guess this is gonna be the start of a long day, eh?" 


	14. Before the Date

Chapter 14  
Before the Date  
  
Two anguished screams, one masculine and one feminine, erupted from the Acolyte base.  
  
"I SWEAR TO GOD, I'M GONNA SET IT ON FIRE!!!"  
  
* * *  
  
Aidan was in Jennie's room wearing a black bra and panty set and wrestling with a pair of panty hose.  
  
"I swear to God," she yelled again as she fell to the floor, "I'm gonna set the damn thing on fire!!"  
  
"No!" Jennie yelled rushing to Aidan's aid. "Don't you dare set my last pair of panty hose on fire!"  
  
Aidan rolled back and forth on the ground, trying in vain to get the panty hose past her knees. She growled and kicked the panty hose toward the wall. However, the hose got caught on her right foot and the left leg bounced back and hit her in the face.  
  
"That's it!" she yelled as her eyes changed.  
  
"NO!" Jennie yelled, tackling her.  
  
Aidan's eyes returned to normal as Jennie yanked the panty hose off her leg.  
  
"Why can't I just wear tennis shoes?" Aidan whined, pulling herself onto the bed.  
  
"Because you're going to some fancy French restaurant that only Remy can pronounce. I doubt they'll let you in wearing a cocktail dress and Nikes."  
  
"Damn fancy fricken' French place..." Aidan muttered. "Damn Remy..."  
  
"Yeah, I know," Jennie said, fixing the tangled panty hose. "Now try this: bunch up the leg, slip your foot in, and THEN roll it up."  
  
Aidan sneered at Jennie and snatched the panty hose. She slowly began maneuvering the hose up her right leg. After about five minutes, she had worked the hose up the length of her right leg, but she got tangled again trying to lift her left leg high enough to slip through the waistband.  
  
Once again, Aidan was on her back on the floor. "Now what?"  
  
"You're supposed to do both legs at the same time," Jennie explained.  
  
"This is ridiculous," Aidan muttered as Jennie helped her to her feet. "Just call the date off. I quit..."  
  
* * *  
  
Remy was in St. John's room helping him get ready. St. John already had his slacks and shirt on and was wrestling with his tie.  
  
"I swear ta God," he yelled as his knot came undone for the ninetieth time, "I'm gonna set the blasted thing on fire!"  
  
"No!" Remy yelled snatching the tie from St. John. "Gambit's grand-mère gave 'im dat tie. It's an heirloom!"  
  
St. John plopped onto the bed and crossed his arms over his chest. "This is bleedin' ridiculous. I don't wanna muck with that bloody tie anymore. Can't I just wear a clip-on?"  
  
"Now how refined does a clip-on make ya?"  
  
"Don't gimme that refinement crud. I don't even wanna go to this La Mascara place."  
  
"Le Mascarade," Remy corrected.  
  
"Whatever..." St. John muttered.  
  
"Here," Remy said, putting the tie around John's neck, "jus' watch Remy." Remy pulled another tie from his trench coat pocket and successfully tied the tie.  
  
St. John slowly mimicked Remy's hand movements. "Hey! I think I finally- GAAK!" he choked as the knot slipped too close to his neck.  
  
Remy rushed over and loosened the tie before John passed out.  
  
"Jus' go call off the date," John gasped. "I quit..."  
  
* * *  
  
An hour and a half later, St. John and Aidan were applying the finishing touches to their looks.  
  
Remy and Jennie met in the living room.  
  
"How's it goin' over there?" Jennie asked from the couch.  
  
"He fried a jacket, two pairs'a shoes, a set'a cufflinks, 'n six pairs'a socks. Gambit lucky ta get outta dere wit his life..." he gasped, collapsing next to her.  
  
"Wow... wasn't that bad with Aidan. But we'll need a new curling iron, a new hairdryer, and... a new bathroom set."  
  
"A what?! Gambit don' t'ink he heard you correctly."  
  
"She didn't like her hair and everything wooden or electric in the bathroom caught fire. I did manage to save your rubber ducky though." Jennie smirked sarcastically.  
  
"Very funny, tcheue poule," he said, putting his arm around her.  
  
She pushed his arm away. "I wasn't joking, and I am NOT a chicken ass."  
  
"Very good, chère. Dat's more French dan you're used to."  
  
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. So what do we do now?"  
  
"Gambit t'ought maybe he should talk to da belle femme 'n you could talk to 'er man."  
  
"And what good is that gonna do?"  
  
Gambit shrugged. "It'll let the kids get a view of da mind of da opposite sex. You tell 'im what da girls like and Gambit'll tell 'er what da boys like."  
  
"Hate ta break it to ya, Swamp Rat, but every girl is born knowing what 'the boys like'."  
  
"Dat's not what Gambit meant."  
  
Jennie smirked. "I know. Just pickin' on ya. It is a good idea. Considering the fanciest restaurant Pyro's ever been to was a Burger King."  
  
"Actually, it was an Outback Steakhouse," Remy corrected.  
  
"Whatever. Meet you in thirty minutes?"  
  
"Fine wit me..."  
  
* * *  
  
Aidan was sitting on Jennie's bed, putting on her strappy high-heeled sandals when there was a knock on the door.  
  
"Come in," she invited, struggling with the clasp on her shoe. "Grrrr..."  
  
Remy stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. "You look très magnifique, chère," he said.  
  
Aidan turned her head to look at him. "What are you doing here? I thought you were with John."  
  
"Gambit jus' stopped by ta see how you were doin'," he said, sitting next to her.  
  
"Well, I'm a little nervous," she admitted. "This is my first date at a fancy restaurant. I don't want to look like an idiot in front of John."  
  
"Don' worry, chère. Here. Gambit'll give ya some advice. First off, don' try ta be overly independent. Let St. John open doors for ya, n' pull out your chair, n' don' try ta split da bill. Dis evenin' should be all 'bout you."  
  
"But isn't that rude? I mean, shouldn't I at least leave the tip?"  
  
"Nah. At dese fancy res'trants da gratuity's already in da bill."  
  
Aidan's eyes widened. "Good thing you told me that now. I never would have thought about that."  
  
"S'all right, chère," he said, putting his arm around her shoulders. "Dat's what Gambit's here for. Now, ya got any otha questions?"  
  
Aidan thought for a moment and then kicked her left foot onto his lap. "Could you fasten this for me?" she asked with a sweet smile.  
  
* * *  
  
St. John stared at himself in the mirror over his dresser. Should he shave again? He rubbed his fingers over his chin. Felt a little prickly...  
  
There was a knock at the door.  
  
"Come in," he said, once again inspecting his face.  
  
"What are you doing?" Jennie asked, stopping behind him.  
  
"Jus' checkin' me face. Ya think I should shave again?"  
  
"You look fine, John."  
  
"What're you doin' on this side o'the house? I thought you were over with Aidan."  
  
"Just wanted to check in on you," Jennie said, sitting in his black beanbag chair. "How ya feelin'?"  
  
"Like I'm gonna throw up last week's stroganoff," he said, facing her and leaning on his dresser. "Is 'at normal?"  
  
"For a first date, yes."  
  
"I jus' don't wanna look like a complete loser in front 'a Aidan."  
  
"You won't."  
  
"I will. I don't know about dates, 'n sheilas, 'n stupid fancy restaurants..."  
  
"You want some advice, John? Let her be independent. It's nice for you guys to be chivalrous and stuff, but opening doors and pulling out chairs just gets annoying after a while. I mean, it's not like we're disabled. We can do stuff like that on our own."  
  
"Okay."  
  
"And, if she offers, split the bill. She ate too. This date is all about her, right?"  
  
St. John nodded.  
  
"Then don't make her feel inferior by doing all that stuff for her."  
  
"I think I get it," St. John said, rubbing his chin. "You sure I don' hafta shave again?"  
  
* * *  
  
St. John paced nervously on the front porch. It was six o'clock. He was wearing the red shirt, black slacks, and black coat from the other night, only the shirt was buttoned and a black tie graced his neck. Surprisingly, Remy let him do his own hair. It was still spiky, but calm. He checked his watch. 6:02. Okay, Jennie said reservations were for seven. How the hell were they supposed to get to this place anyway?  
  
* * *  
  
Meanwhile, Aidan and Jennie were arguing in Jennie's room.  
  
"Why can't I take it with me?" Aidan whined.  
  
"Because it's too big. You need something petite," Jennie said.  
  
"Why? I like my mini-backpack." Aidan picked up her backpack from the vanity.  
  
Jennie rolled her eyes. "Fine. It's five after six. You'll be late if we argue anymore."  
  
"Tee hee," Aidan smirked, hugging her bag.  
  
"Let's go," Jennie said, grabbing Aidan's elbow and ushering her to the front door.  
  
* * *  
  
Suddenly, the front door swung open and Aidan stepped out. She was wearing a black cocktail dress and black strappy high-heeled sandals. Her hair tumbled to her kidneys in a slightly messy set of curls. St. John picked his jaw up from the floor and walked over to her.  
  
"Wow..." was all he could manage to say.  
  
"Thanks," Aidan said, blushing slightly. "You look nice too..."  
  
"Well, yeah, uh... Remy does do a good job, eh?" he said, stuffing his hands into his pockets.  
  
"Well," Aidan said, still very nervous. "What do we do now?"  
  
"I, uh, I dunno."  
  
* * *  
  
Remy, Jennie, and Piotr were peeking over the windowsill watching the first bits of awkward opening conversation.  
  
"Look at them," Piotr whispered. "They are so nervous."  
  
"Yeah," Remy agreed. "Dis is weird."  
  
"I know what you mean," Jennie whispered. "It's almost like watching one of those nature shows, y'know? 'Next on Wild Discovery: the mating ritual of the pyromaniac'."  
  
Remy smiled and Piotr rolled his eyes. "You are ridiculous..."  
  
"Oh, no," Jennie whispered. "What're they doing? You can't ride a motorcycle in a cocktail dress!"  
  
"Gambit got dis one, chère."  
  
He stood up and walked toward the front door.  
  
"What does he mean he's 'got this one'?" Jennie asked.  
  
"How should I know? He is your boyfriend," Piotr said, standing to follow Remy.  
  
Jennie walked onto the porch just as Remy was saying, "Hang on, mon ami!"  
  
St. John and Aidan stopped halfway to the Harley and turned around.  
  
"What is it, mate?" St. John asked.  
  
"Y'can't take a bike to Le Mascarade."  
  
"Then what're we supposed to do?" Aidan asked. "Walk? I don't think these heels will make it if we do."  
  
"Nah, chère, no walkin' required." He reached into his trench coat pocket and pulled out a tiny box with a red button on it. He pressed the button and the ground to the left of the driveway began to rise into the air.  
  
"What the hell...?" Jennie muttered.  
  
Remy pushed the button a second time and a set of garage doors opened to reveal a 2004 black Corvette.  
  
Aidan's jaw dropped to the ground.  
  
St. John looked angry. "You made me walk all the way to that bloody 7 Eleven when we 'ad THAT! When did we get a Corvette?"  
  
Jennie also looked angry. She slapped Remy's arm. "When did we get a secret underground garage?"  
  
Aidan ran over to the car and gently traced her fingers over the top. "I'm in heaven," she muttered. "It's a convertible."  
  
"Dere ya go," Remy said, tossing St. John the keys. "Take 'er out wit style!"  
  
John and Aidan hopped into the car and drove off.  
  
Remy and Piotr walked back to the house, leaving Jennie in the driveway muttering to herself.  
  
"A secret underground garage... I bought this house; my name is on the deed. Why the hell don't I know about these things?" 


	15. The Date Part I

A/N: Sorry it took me so long to update. Having disc trouble... may have lost my entire story... no biggie though. Will continue to type until 3am with a glass of Sunny D by my side until I finish the file recovery. Due to the loss of said file, there may be a few changes to this chapter or the next depending on when and if I get my disc to work again. Now, bring on Chapter 15!  
  
~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~  
  
Chapter 15  
The Date Part I:  
Car Rides and Restaurants  
  
A black Corvette sped past the 7 Eleven. Inside the Corvette, St. John was grinning ear-to-ear.  
  
"This is great, ain't it, Aidan? I can't believe Remy lemme drive!" St. John announced, taking the 'Vette across the yellow lines as he rounded a curve.  
  
"Neither can I!" Aidan yelled, holding onto the door handle for dear life. Her eyes bugged out of her head as they came face-to-face with a tractor- trailer truck. "Oh, Dear God!" she shrieked, abandoning the door handle to cover her eyes.  
  
At the last second, St. John pulled the car into the right lane. When the sounds of screaming and twisting metal were absent, Aidan slowly peeked over her fingers.  
  
"You crazy Yanks..." he said, "no wonda America's such a mess. Y'don't even drive on the right side o'the road."  
  
The Bayville city limits sign passed by Aidan's window in a blur. "John... do you even have your driver's license?"  
  
"My what?" he asked, swerving to miss a fire hydrant.  
  
Aidan yelped in surprise. "You better watch out," she said dryly, "those fire hydrants tend to just pop up outta nowhere."  
  
"What? Do YOU wanna drive?"  
  
"YES!"  
  
John was slightly taken aback. He scanned the road ahead. They were about two blocks from the restaurant.  
  
" 'Ow 'bout you drive 'ome? We're almost there anyway."  
  
"Yes!" Aidan said quickly. "Yes, I would like that."  
  
"Okay then," St. John said, speeding up and changing lanes in the intersection.  
  
* * *  
  
St. John pulled the Corvette up to the curb. The valet opened the door for Aidan and she waited for John. St. John gave the valet the keys and walked Aidan to the door.  
  
He was about to open it for her when Jennie's voice popped into his head: "opening doors and pulling out chairs gets annoying after a while."  
  
Aidan looked at the door, then to John, and then to the door again, and Remy's voice popped into her head: "let 'im open doors for ya 'n pull out your chair."  
  
For the next five minutes, both Aidan and St. John stared at the doors, neither of them moving. Once the atmosphere felt more than a little uncomfortable and two other couples entered the restaurant, Aidan and John reached for the door at the same time.  
  
"Sorry," they both muttered as they each opened a door.  
  
Once inside the swanky restaurant, John held out his arm and Aidan took hold of it.  
  
They walked up to the maitre de and John tried to sound as sophisticated as possible. "Allerdyce, party of two please."  
  
The maitre de scanned the list of reservations. "Follow me." He led them to a table in the back corner. It was surrounded by beautiful stained glass windows and potted plants. In the center of the table, there was an arrangement of candles, vines, and large white flowers.  
  
St. John was about to sit down when a stern look from the maitre de prompted him to pull out Aidan's chair for her.  
  
The maitre de handed them their menus and returned to his podium.  
  
"Crickey!" St. John whispered. "The whole bleedin' menu's in French!"  
  
"Poule?" Aidan pondered. "Isn't that chicken?"  
  
"How the 'ell should I know. I'm from Sydney! I mean, Remy's a smart bloke 'n all, but tha moron fahgot ta teach the Aussie how ta order his dinner."  
  
"Chicken," Aidan said, ignoring John's rant and still staring at her menu. "I'm sure poule is chicken... I think..."  
  
St. John flipped the menu over and noticed the wine list. "Didn' even teach me how ta order wine..." he muttered, shaking his head.  
  
Aidan put her menu down. "But you're only nineteen."  
  
"Oh, yeah... Almost fahgot about that."  
  
The waiter stepped up to the table. "Could I get you anything to drink?"  
  
"Water, please," Aidan said.  
  
"Me too- uh, also."  
  
The waiter nodded and walked away.  
  
"This is ridiculous," St. John said, cradling his head in his hands. "I can't believe we're actually doin' this..."  
  
"It's not that bad..." Aidan said.  
  
St. John's hands fell to the table and he raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Okay, so it is that bad." Aidan looked around the restaurant. She felt out of place. They must've been the only couple there under the age of thirty. This WAS ridiculous. She couldn't even remember if poule was French for chicken.  
  
"We shouldn't even be here," St. John whined, breaking a breadstick in half. "These aren't even tha good breadsticks..."  
  
Aidan leaned inward and whispered suspiciously. "Then whadda ya say we get outta here?"  
  
St. John also leaned in conspiratorially. "We can't do that, sheila. Where'll we go? We're in eve'nin' wear fa-"  
  
Silently the flame from the candle in the centerpiece slinked down the side of the candle.  
  
"So... pretty..." John whispered in awe.  
  
Aidan used her finger to trace the fire around the petals and leaves. She could hear the waiter coming back to take their order and lost her concentration. Lucky though, John took control of the fire and the nearest potted plant went up in smoke. He was about to torch the centerpiece when Aidan grabbed his hand.  
  
"Follow me!"  
  
They ran out of the restaurant, knocking down their waiter, two bus boys and the maitre de on their way.  
  
When they got outside, they found the valet and he went looking for the Corvette.  
  
"Get back here!" the maitre de yelled, stumbling out the front doors.  
  
Just then, the valet pulled up with the car, and Aidan hopped into the driver's seat.  
  
"Now, what're we gonna do?" St. John asked as Aidan sped out of the parking lot.  
  
"You'll see," she said, calmly reaching over to pull his tie off.  
  
"What're ya doin'?!" he yelped in surprise.  
  
"You won't need that anymore," she said and tossed him her mini-backpack. "Open that."  
  
He opened the bag and pulled out his red long sleeved t-shirt. "What's all this?" he asked.  
  
"I figured we wouldn't be there too long. I tried to tell Jennie about candles and pyros... besides, I can't stand fancy places anyway. How 'bout a movie?"  
  
St. John smiled. "You're a sheila after me own 'eart. Let's go for it!" he yelled, pulling out a pair of jeans. 


	16. The Date Part II

A/N: Well, I have yet to recover the file I wanted, but I'm almost there... I hope. Uh, so, on with the chapter!  
  
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Chapter 16  
  
The Date Part II:  
The Movie and the Mayhem  
  
John and Aidan were in line for snacks at the cinema. John was wearing his red long-sleeved t-shirt, jeans, and his tennis shoes. Aidan was in a black long-sleeved t-shirt, khakis, and black shoes. They were still about four people from the front of the line.  
  
"I still can't believe ya fit all 'at inta ya bag," St. John said.  
  
"It's a gift, I guess," Aidan smirked. "I still can't believe you lit that fern on fire..."  
  
"I told ya I was sorry, Aidan," John said, lowering his voice. "Y'know how I get around fire. It's like those Herbal Essence commercials: I just get the urge... So... what're we s'posed ta tell Remy 'n Jennie? It's not like we can tell 'em we played hooky at the restaurant. They'd kill us, y'know."  
  
"I know..." Aidan pursed her lips and thought for a moment. "I say we just stay out all night and not tell them anything."  
  
St. John smiled. "Why not? Remy stays out till all hour o'the night. Let's do it. We may even get ta 'ave a little bit o'fun, if ya catch me drift," he said, pulling his lighter out of his pocket.  
  
Aidan held his hand down. "Not here. We don't want to hurt anybody."  
  
St. John looked slightly irritated. "Not here, but it was okay at the res'trant?"  
  
"The restaurant was a mistake," Aidan whispered. "I wasn't thinking and could have hurt innocent people. We'll have some fun later when no one else is around, okay?"  
  
St. John pouted and put his lighter back into his pocket. "All right... but y'promise I'll get ta do it later?"  
  
"I promise."  
  
* * *  
  
After grabbing Aidan's traditional movie theater cuisine (Twizzlers, Cherry Coke, Junior Mints, and Snowcaps), St. John and Aidan took a couple seats near the back of the theater. The previews weren't even on yet.  
  
As Aidan tore open her bag of Twizzlers, a familiar looking redhead and her boyfriend walked into the theater.  
  
"Shit!" Aidan whispered, sliding down into her seat and pulling John with her.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Jean and Scott."  
  
"Oh, great... Just our luck we run inta the bloody X-brigade," St. John sneered. "You sure I can't use me lighter here?"  
  
"I'm sure... You think maybe we should go?"  
  
"But the movie 'asn't even started yet."  
  
As if on cue, the lights dimmed and the previews began.  
  
St. John looked at Jean and Scott. "Maybe they didn' see us. Let's jus' stay. Anythin' 'appens 'n well get outta here, eh?"  
  
"Okay... Twizzler?"  
  
"Thanks."  
  
* * *  
  
Jean glanced over her shoulder. That had to be Pyro and Firestorm. But what were they doing here? Up to trouble, no doubt.  
  
'Scott?' Jean projected. 'Pyro and Firestorm are here.'  
  
'Firestorm? Really?' he projected back. 'Why are they here?'  
  
'I don't know. You think we should do something?'  
  
'Naw. Let's just enjoy the movie. If they try anything funny, we'll get 'em.'  
  
Jean cut her psychic link with Scott and stared at the movie screen. This was not good. She had to get rid of Firestorm somehow. Jean then got an idea. This should make her evening more enjoyable...  
  
* * *  
  
Aidan was worried. Seeing Jean and Scott really messed up the evening. She wouldn't be able to enjoy the movie knowing that Princess Perfect and her lackey were only a few rows ahead.  
  
"Excuse me," a voice said, tearing Aidan from her thoughts.  
  
Aidan looked up to see an usher. He was probably only sixteen years old, had black Coke-bottle glasses, and an acne problem that no sane dermatologist would ever want to face.  
  
"Yes?" Aidan answered.  
  
"You're going to have to leave the theater," the usher said.  
  
"What?" Aidan asked, confused.  
  
"The management has gotten complaints about your behavior and would appreciate it if you would leave," he elaborated.  
  
" 'Ang on a minute, there, mate," St. John cut in. "Nobody's kickin' me sheila outta 'ere without a fight."  
  
Aidan glanced over to Jean. Jean smirked and raised a finger to her forehead.  
  
"I'm sorry if I didn't make myself clear," the usher said, "but you're also being asked to leave."  
  
"What?!" St. John yelled, drawing the attention of a few other rows.  
  
"John, let's just go," Aidan said, nodding toward Jean and Scott.  
  
"But, Aidan, fa once we didn' do anythin'!" John protested, not catching Aidan's nod.  
  
"If you don't quietly exit the theater, I'll be forced to call security," the usher said.  
  
"Security my arse!" St. John yelled, whipping out his lighter.  
  
"John, NO!" Aidan yelled.  
  
It was too late. A humungous fireball erupted from John's fist, throwing the usher back into the wall.  
  
Everyone within a ten-foot radius jumped out of their seats and hit the floor.  
  
"Now, can we do something?" Jean asked Scott.  
  
"Let's get 'em," Scott agreed.  
  
Scott stood up and blasted the lighter from John's hand.  
  
"Wha d'ya do that for, mate?" John whined.  
  
"That's enough, Pyro," Scott yelled, trying to sound as heroic as possible.  
  
"Now, can we go?" Aidan asked, tugging on John's arm.  
  
Suddenly, Aidan was lifted off of the ground.  
  
"Causing trouble again, Firestorm?" Jean asked.  
  
"Seems like it's the other way around," Aidan retorted as her eyes changed.  
  
The sconces lining the walls burst into flame and Jean lost her focus. In an act of defense, Aidan created a wall of fire around herself and John.  
  
"What now?" John asked.  
  
"Trust me." Aidan grabbed John's hand and created her own form of a back draft that propelled them out of the theater and into the concession stand.  
  
"Oh, my God!" a female usher yelled, running over to them. "Are you all right?"  
  
"Two fire mutants are after us!" Aidan said. "Can you get us out of here?"  
  
"Sure. Follow me."  
  
The girl led them to a rear fire exit. "Here. Be careful."  
  
"Thanks," Aidan said.  
  
"Yeah," John said, reading the girl's nametag, "thanks, Melissa."  
  
Melissa cocked her head as the pair of redheads ran down the alley.  
  
"Now where we goin'?" John asked.  
  
"I dunno," Aidan said. "Think we should take the car?"  
  
"No way. If we so much as scratch 'at thing, Remy'll 'ave me head."  
  
"Then I guess we keep running."  
  
* * *  
  
About twenty minutes later, John and Aidan collapsed side by side on a bench in the park.  
  
"Well," Aidan panted, "this is turning out to be quite a night."  
  
"I know what'cha mean," John panted back. "I can't breathe..."  
  
Aidan chuckled, and after a few more breaths, she spoke again. "Well, we had dinner and a movie. What's next?"  
  
"Boy," John joked, "y'sure are a cheap date. Dinner was two crunchy breadsticks and a glass 'a water, and the movie was a preview for the new Vin Diesel movie and a commercial for aftershave. What a blast!"  
  
"Are there any Dairy Queens open? I'm hankerin' for a Blizzard."  
  
"Y'just say 'hankerin'?"  
  
Suddenly, the trees around them began to twist and sway. They looked up and saw the X-copter.  
  
"Damn it all," John cursed. "I thought we lost them. I don' even 'ave me lighter. Bloody one-eyed arse-hole..."  
  
The helicopter landed and Cyclops, Jean, Rogue, Nightcrawler, and Wolverine exited the ramp.  
  
"Don't think you can get away from us that easily," Cyclops said. "After what happened at the theater, you'll be lucky to get out of here."  
  
"Well, if Jean would just quit bein' jealous of me, we wouldn't have a problem, now would we?" Aidan asked, glaring at Jean.  
  
"See, Kurt," Rogue said. "Ah told ya so."  
  
Jean used her powers and sent John hurtling backwards into a tree.  
  
Aidan's eyes glowed and she shot a stream of fire at Jean. Jean flew backwards, thumping into Wolverine.  
  
Cyclops shot several optic blasts at Aidan who dodged them by completing four back handsprings. When she was right side up again, she created a giant fire elephant that charged the X-Men.  
  
From behind her, John groaned.  
  
"Hey, Pyro!" Aidan yelled. "Get with it!"  
  
Pyro shook his head and noticed the elephant. "Good on ya, sheila!" he yelled, cackling maniacally and taking the pachyderm under his control.  
  
Kurt teleported himself and Rogue behind Aidan. Rogue removed her glove and placed her hand on Aidan's cheek, causing Aidan to wobble and fall to the ground.  
  
"Ah'm sorry," Rogue said. "Ah had to."  
  
Suddenly, Rogue's eyes changed color and fire shot out of her fingertips.  
  
"Rogue! Vhat's going on?" Kurt yelled, bampfing out of the way of the flames.  
  
"I- I can't control it!" Rogue yelled. "It's too much power!"  
  
Pyro noticed Rogue's troubles. "Amateur..." he muttered and then turned to face her. "Lemme 'elp ya, there, love!"  
  
The elephant fizzled away as Pyro drained some of the fire away from Rogue.  
  
For the next few fight sequences, Pyro basically had the X-Men at his mercy. Just as Pyro's confidence was beginning to grow, Rogue gained a little control of Firestorm's powers. She blasted Pyro into a tree, and Wolverine pinned him through the sleeves with his claws.  
  
"G'day, Wolvie," Pyro gulped. "Y'doin' all right?"  
  
Wolverine growled.  
  
"I'll take that as a no..."  
  
As the X-Men moved closer to Pyro, Firestorm began to come to.  
  
"Y'gonna kill me?" Pyro asked.  
  
"Not exactly," Cyclops said.  
  
"But we'll come close," Wolverine snarled.  
  
"Y'know, I'm really not that fond 'a pain-"  
  
Wolverine growled again, cutting Pyro off.  
  
Cyclops looked at Jean. "You wanna take over?"  
  
Jean nodded. As Jean advanced on Pyro, several images began to flash through Rogue's head.  
  
Jean. Aidan. Pyro. "It was a set-up!" "She was just lookin' for Pyro." A woman on fire. A burning barn.  
  
"NNOOOOO!!" Rogue yelled in unison with the little girl in her head.  
  
Fire shot from Rogue in all directions. A column surrounded her and shot into the air about fifty feet.  
  
Kurt bampfed over to Aidan. "Aidan, you must help her!"  
  
"Pyro!" Firestorm yelled. "I'll need your help!"  
  
"Sure thing... um, Wolvie?"  
  
He growled.  
  
"Could ya, uh, lemme go?"  
  
Wolverine retracted his claws; John fell to the ground, and then rushed over to Aidan.  
  
"I'm not sure if this'll work," Aidan said, "but I need to overpower her."  
  
" 'N what d'ya need me for?"  
  
"Help protect the X-Men in case I lose control."  
  
"What? Protect the-"  
  
"Just do it, John! Rogue's my friend and I'm not about to let her be burned from the inside out!"  
  
"Okay..." John said meekly.  
  
Aidan's eyes glowed red on black and she began to smoke. As she walked closer to Rogue, the fires began to burn out, and the column of fire began to transfer from Rogue to Aidan.  
  
"I think it's vorking!" Kurt yelled.  
  
Aidan could feel the fire coming back to her. She felt overloaded and overheated. Rogue really absorbed a lot... Almost involuntarily, her arms began to rise up from her sides.  
  
"John!" she yelled.  
  
"Right!"  
  
Suddenly, two large balls of fire shot out of Aidan's hands. With John's mental help, they missed hitting the X-Men and took out a bench and a fountain.  
  
"What is she doing?!" Cyclops yelled, pulling himself off the ground.  
  
"Shut up!" John shot back. "She's tryin' not ta kill us all!"  
  
"How could she possibly do that?" Jean asked.  
  
Pyro rolled his eyes. It was amazing how much people who lived at a school really didn't know. "Ev'a hear 'a entropy? Heat is the most unstable element in the universe. She has the ability to create that chaos," Pyro explained. "An overload would send that chaos outta 'er at top speed. It's not a pretty thing. Believe me, I've seen it."  
  
Aidan pulled more fire from Rogue. It began to swirl around Aidan in a giant tornado. Dark spots began to form in front of Aidan's eyes and her stomach felt like it contained an entire herd of butterflies. Her skin began to glow.  
  
"John!" she yelled. "It's too much!"  
  
"Just a little more, sheila! Rogue's almost drained."  
  
Rogue was on her knees, her eyes were still like Aidan's, and there was a small ring of fire around her.  
  
Aidan was now within three feet of Rogue. Her skin glowed brighter and she felt her powers boil inside her. She felt like she was going to explode. She had to release her powers somehow. But she couldn't. If she even released the tiniest bit of them now, she could torch the entire park and all in it.  
  
She fought the need to release the fire and Rogue's eyes returned to normal.  
  
"You did it!" John yelled.  
  
Aidan turned toward John. Her skin was glowing, her eyes were glowing... even her hair was glowing.  
  
"Aidan?" John asked.  
  
"I... can't..." Aidan said, holding in the pain of the pent up fire.  
  
A warm wind circled the group of mutants. Aidan tried to think of a way to stop what was about to happen. It was going to erupt from her with the fury of Vesuvius. Maybe if she concentrated she could save them. It worked at the car yard with John... It may work again...  
  
"Aidan!" John said, forcefully. "You can control it. Careful now. Pull it back."  
  
Sweat dripped down Aidan's back and into her eyes. "I... can't..." she repeated. "I'm so sorry..."  
  
A column of fire shot out of Aidan and several miles into the air.  
  
Concentrate... concentrate... Aidan repeated over and over in her mind.  
  
Suddenly, there was a blast of heat, a flash of light, and then blackness...  
  
~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~  
  
Another A/N: Almost forgot the disclaimer. Of course I do not own Herbal Essence, Twizzlers, Coca-Cola, Junior Mints, Snowcaps, Dairy Queen or any of its products. If I did, I would be a multi-millionaire and not sitting in my bedroom in some rinky-dink town on the computer; however, I would be sitting on my yacht in the Caribbean on the computer. 


	17. After the Date

A/N: Fluff warning!! I placed this fic under Humor/Romance for a reason. Yes, there were some slight mentionings of an Aidan/Pyro romance, but this chapter is giving you what you want. More than just mentionings. If you really didn't want 'more than mentionings', then, well, too bad, it's my story... Also, as a side note, I know the ending of this chapter seems final, but there is an epilogue on the way!  
  
~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~  
  
Chapter Seventeen  
After the Date  
  
St. John didn't feel like he could open his eyes. Nothing felt broken, though. But he had a bugger of a headache. Suddenly his eyes shot open. Aidan!  
  
He stood up on wobbly knees and looked around. Rogue and Kurt were still knocked out, Wolverine was checking on Jean and Scott, and Aidan...  
  
Where was she?  
  
He continued to scan the surrounding area.  
  
There she was. Over by the fountain. He rushed over to her and discovered that her head was bleeding.  
  
"Oh, bugger..." he muttered, wrapping his arms around her. "No... Aidan? Aidan, wake up, love."  
  
She didn't respond, and her head lolled back and forth in his arms.  
  
"No..." he whispered.  
  
"NO!"  
  
* * *  
  
Remy, Jennie, and Piotr were on the couch. Piotr was in charge of the remote and turned the TV to Comedy Central.  
  
"I think I understand..." Piotr said.  
  
"Understand what?" Jennie asked.  
  
" 'The Night of the Cow'," Piotr replied. "It is called that BECAUSE nothing good happens to the cow!" With a short laugh, Piotr actually smirked. "That is quite funny."  
  
"It's three a.m.," Remy pointed out. "Shouldn't da kids be home by now?"  
  
Just as he finished his sentence, the sound of a car pulling into the driveway was heard.  
  
"Here they come," Jennie said. "Pretend we weren't waiting up for them!"  
  
The door swung open to reveal John holding Aidan in his arms.  
  
Everyone's smiles melted off their faces.  
  
"Oh, my God, what happened?!" Jennie yelled, half hysterical.  
  
"We 'ad a little problem," John said, devoid of emotion.  
  
"She's bleedin', mon ami," Remy said.  
  
"Yeah..." John acknowledged. "We got a Band-Aid or somethin'?"  
  
"You will need more than a Band-Aid, comrade," Piotr said. "Follow me."  
  
John followed Piotr to the bathroom where they proceeded to bandage Aidan's head wound.  
  
Jennie sank onto the couch.  
  
"You okay, chère," Remy asked.  
  
"Remy, none of us have ever come back from a battle like that. Not even when you guys fought Apocalypse..."  
  
He sat down next to Jennie and put his arm around her. "She'll be all right, chère. Aidan's a fighter. It'll take more dan a bump on da head ta put out dat fille's fire."  
  
She rested her head on his shoulder. "I sure hope you're right..."  
  
* * *  
  
St. John gently placed Aidan's lifeless body on his bed. He kneeled down next to the bed and held her hand in his. "I'm so sorry," he whispered, a single tear escaping the confines of his eye. "Some bang up first date we 'ad, eh?"  
  
* * *  
  
Darkness.  
  
Pain.  
  
John...  
  
Aidan's eyes fluttered open and closed again. She should be dead. She remembered the Corvette, the movie, the fight... oh, no... Rogue, Kurt... John... Did she save them? Or were they all dead?"  
  
"John..." she moaned.  
  
St. John, who had been sleeping half on the floor and half on the bed, opened his eyes.  
  
"John?" she whimpered, opening her eyes.  
  
John looked up. She was awake! He let go of her hand and placed his hand on her cheek. "Aidan? You all right? Speak ta me, love."  
  
"John," she smiled. "You're alive."  
  
"Yeah," he smiled back. "You sure packed a wallop, though. Hurt like the devil."  
  
"Rogue, Kurt. Are they okay?"  
  
"Yeah," he said, tracing her cheekbone with his thumb. "They were gettin' up as we were leavin'."  
  
Aidan let out a breath she didn't even know she was holding.  
  
Without moving his hand, John pulled himself onto the bed. "I'm so sorry for forcin' ya t'use your powers like 'at. I didn' realize..."  
  
"It's okay," Aidan said, placing her hand over his. "Really. Everybody's fine."  
  
"But I almost lost you..."  
  
"There was no other way," Aidan reassured. "It would've happened sooner or later."  
  
"I guess you're right."  
  
"Of course I'm right," Aidan said, straining a little as she tried to sit up a bit. She paused and thought for a moment. "You called me 'love'."  
  
"Oh," he realized, "I'm sorry. I fahgot what you said about-"  
  
"That's so sweet," Aidan said, smiling.  
  
"Really?" he asked, returning her smile. "Well, then, how 'bout this?"  
  
He placed his hand on her jawbone, leaned forward, and kissed her. As he deepened the kiss, Aidan brought her hand up to his neck.  
  
They stopped kissing and were literally nose-to-nose.  
  
"That's sweet too," Aidan whispered and then kissed him.  
  
St. John's hand moved to her hair as he sank into her arms.  
  
* * *  
  
A few hours later, a partially clothed Aidan lay on her right side. Behind her, a half-naked St. John slept with his arm draped protectively around her waist. She felt him move and he kissed her collarbone.  
  
"You awake, love?" he whispered, his voice smoky with sleep.  
  
She rolled over to face him and wrapped her arm around his neck. He kissed her forehead and smiled.  
  
She smiled back, looked him in the eye and said, "I love you."  
  
St. John didn't even blink. He hugged her tighter and replied, "I love you, too."  
  
Aidan nestled closer to his strong chest and listened to the rhythm of his heart.  
  
Tha-thump...tha-thump...tha-thump...  
  
She fell asleep in his arms and the nightmares never came back. 


	18. Epilogue

Chapter 18  
Epilogue  
  
The Acolyte base was in its usual state: complete and utter chaos...  
  
As Jennie made her way up the driveway, she stopped and noticed that smoke was spewing from every window.  
  
"Great," she muttered to herself as she started walking again, "Pyro's at it again." She spotted Colossus on the porch swing. "Hey, Iron Giant," she smirked, "too afraid to go inside?"  
  
"Gambit has been trapped in his room for the past hour," he muttered, not looking up from his drawing. "And by the way, we may need to make a trip to Couches 'R Us."  
  
Jennie sat next to him on the porch swing. "Damn..." she muttered below her breath. She paused and thought for a moment. "Did you just get one of those funny déjà vu feelings?"  
  
Colossus raised an eyebrow and continued shading his landscape.  
  
Suddenly, a loud explosion and a burst of flame rocked the house, throwing Jennie and Colossus to the ground. Jennie quickly extracted her leg from under Colossus and raced to the front door. She threw it open and stood in the doorway, staring at the carnage.  
  
The couch wasn't even a couch anymore... The Lay-Z-Boy was a shell of its former self; meaning no more heated back massages. The coffee table was a charred pile of ash with a few porcelain coasters sticking out of it and the TV... well, she wasn't even going to think about it...  
  
Sitting between the decimated couch and the pile of ash that used to be the coffee table, were Pyro and Firestorm who were covered with black soot.  
  
Jennie's gaze hardened on Pyro and she whined, "Pyro..."  
  
"I swear, Jennie, I didn' do it!!" he yelled, holding his hands up in mock defense.  
  
"No," Firestorm said, raising her arms in victory. "IT WAS ME!!!"  
  
* * *  
  
'Mystique and the Brotherhood are at the Bayville Mall,' the Professor's psyche echoed through the heads of the X-Men. 'Everyone to the Blackbird.'  
  
Shadowcat, Nightcrawler, Rogue, and Spyke joined Wolverine and Storm at the base of the jet.  
  
"Ready ta kick some Brotherhood tail?" Wolverine half-snarled, half-laughed to Kitty.  
  
"Like, yeah!"  
  
Cyclops raced up to everyone as they boarded the Blackbird. "Okay, we all ready to go?"  
  
Everyone nodded.  
  
Scott was about to board the jet when he looked around, confused. "Where's Jean?"  
  
Rogue snickered. "Ah don't think she'll be goin' on any missions for a good while..."  
  
* * *  
  
On the other side of the mansion, Jean was in one of the main bathrooms... on her hands and knees, scrubbing the floor.  
  
"If she just wouldn't have shown up here, none of this would've happened..." she grumbled to herself.  
  
Suddenly, there was a loud SNAP! And Jean pulled her hand back from the scrub brush. "Goddammit I hate her!!! I BROKE A NAIL!!!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~The End~~~~~~~~~~~ 


End file.
